It’s been suggested that we use intelligibility as part of comprehensive speech assessment, and measurement of treatment outcomes. Why? Well, because intelligibility is kind of the point of speech therapy in the first place, right? Also, intelligibility can pick up on phonological changes that other measures (like percent consonants correct, PCC) can’t.

So which intelligibility measures are we supposed to be using, exactly? Or, more appropriately—what are our options?

First, there are many ways to measure intelligibility. We can use rating scales, single word measures, or connected speech; and raters may include the clinician, family, peers, or unfamiliar listeners. Each of these have their own pros and cons…