Examining for Aphasia (EFA-4)

Examining for Aphasia-Fourth Edition (EFA-4) assesses aphasia and the relative impact of this brain-based language disorder on quality of life.

 

Based on Jon Eisenson’s previous editions, the EFA-4 has been completely revised to evaluate the cognitive, personality, and linguistic modifications that are associated with acquired aphasia. The EFA-4’s subtests help determine areas of strength and weakness for receptive and expressive functions as well as for the communication processes that underpin language use. EFA-4 tests visual, auditory and tactile recognition as well as auditory and reading comprehension of words, sentences, and paragraphs. Expressive and productive tasks include simple skills, automatic language, arithmetic computations, and language items that parallel those for receptive tasks.  This edition incorporates aspects of the examinee’s social history, acknowledging the contemporary integration of social models of aphasia with attention to treatment planning that focuses on ICF guidelines: restoration of activities and participation in daily life.

 

The EFA-4 emphasizes more detailed examination of word retrieval and lexical-semantic skills including phonological, semantic, and category generative naming. An optional “Tell a Story” test (in response to a picture) assesses self-organized language content. The Personal History Form is used to record information on individual and unique aspects of the examinee and his or her test performance as well as to record and profile the EFA-4 subtest and composite scores. Raw scores can be converted to percentiles and plotted on the profile and compared to extensive new norms that have been collected with the EFA-4. The Examiner Record Booklet includes brief administration directions for experienced EFA-4 examiners and space for observations and clinical impressions. New in this edition is the EFA-4 Short Form, which can be used when the full Diagnostic Form cannot be administered due to practical time restrictions.