Toward a Diagnostic Template for Acquired Apraxia of Speech: Insights From an Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders Review

PURPOSE: Significant variation is observed in diagnostic assessments for individuals with acquired apraxia of speech (AOS). The lack of consistency across research related to AOS impacts the comparison of intervention outcomes. This extends to diagnostic criteria, assessment, and the inclusion of patient demographics. This viewpoint examines outcomes related to the consistency in diagnostic tool use and collection of demographic information and introduces a template to support researchers and clinicians conducting diagnostic evaluations. Materials include guidelines for a thorough case history, current diagnostic characteristics, and diagnostic assessment tools available for describing AOS. The template illustrates how such materials can be structured and applied in research and clinical practice. METHOD: The recommendations provided in this viewpoint are part of a recent systematic review about AOS treatment outcomes. Trained raters extracted data from a comprehensive literature search from 1951 to April 2024 using a consensus protocol. RESULTS: Of the 92 studies included in data extraction, demographic information such as age, gender, etiology, and months post-onset was commonly reported, and information about race and ethnicity (described in 15% of studies), socioeconomic status (0%), current/previous occupation (8%), language history (10%), and education (59%) was described less frequently. Reported diagnostic characteristics varied across studies, reflecting differences in using discriminatory versus nondiscriminatory features. Concomitant diagnoses, such as aphasia severity (37%) and presence of dysarthria (32%), were not consistently reported or described. CONCLUSION: A template with specific criteria and assessments can support research replication, raise awareness of diagnostic strategies, and offer a structured framework for investigators and clinicians. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.32012346.