Fig. 1

ASRS-scores over time in SPEAK and RATS-3. ASRS-scores: 5 = minimal discernible speech handicap, some subjective difficulties that are not obvious to the listener; 4 = some obvious loss of fluency in speech or facility of comprehension, without significant limitation in ideas expressed or form of expression; 3 = able to discuss almost all everyday problems with little or no assistance, reduction of speech and/or comprehension; 2 = conversation about familiar topics is possible with help from the listener, there are frequent failures to convey an idea; 1 = all communication is through fragmentary expression, great need for inference, questioning and guessing by listener, limited information may be conveyed; 0 = no usable speech or auditory comprehension