You will be provided with a case history and the results of a formal assessment for a case study child. For this assessment task you will need to review the information provided and analyse the assessment results. To analyse the assessment results, you will need to refer to the assessment manual of the formal assessment which is located in the speech pathology assessment cupboard. A template for this task has been provided on your Moodle page. 

Section 1: Assessment Interpretation

1. Outline the pertinent aspects of the case history with reference to the literature. Pertinent aspects of the case history are those that indicate the client may be experiencing communication difficulties or aspects which may impact the client’s communication development (such as individual, family or community factors).
2. Analyse the formal assessment results and provide an interpretation of what these assessment results mean. Students are expected to analyse and interpret all aspects of the formal assessment provided including subtests. For results interpretation, students must adhere to the assessment manual. 

Section 2: Differential Diagnosis

1. Outline a differential diagnosis for the client based on the information provided. This should be one sentence.
2. Justify your differential diagnosis for the client with reference to client information, the assessment results and high-quality literature. As part of the justification, students should refer to the diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis given. 

Section 3: Recommendations for further assessment or information gathering

1. Provide two recommendations for further assessment or information gathering for the client. Each recommendation should be no more than two sentences.
2. Justify each recommendation (therefore you should have two justifications) with reference to high-quality literature.

You will be marked against four criteria for this assessment task:

1. Your ability to analyse, interpret, and explain the assessment results in relation to a case. This section is worth 45%.
2. Your ability to integrate case information and assessment results to outline the client’s communication profile including initial diagnostic decision making. This section is worth 15%.
3. Your ability to apply clinical reasoning skills to make appropriate recommendations for further assessment and your ability justify these in reference to the case study information and the literature. This section is worth 30%.
4. Your ability to use appropriate formatting; academic writing conventions including grammar and use of APA 7th edition referencing. This section is worth 10%.

For this assessment task, you will be required to complete a 25-minute viva (an oral assessment in the form of an interview) based on a paediatric clinical scenario. Your viva will occur on Monday the 3rd of June 2024 between 8:00am and 6:00pm. Your specific time allocation will be provided at least four weeks prior to the viva occurring via Moodle. Your viva will be video recorded for assessment marking purposes. Your viva commences at the time provided to you on Moodle. Therefore, you are expected to arrive and wait outside the room at least 10 minutes prior to your scheduled time. If you are late, you will be permitted to enter your viva, however the amount of time you were late, will be deducted from section 1 (and other sections sequentially as applicable). For example, if your viva was scheduled for 9:00am and you arrive at 9:02am, you will be given 3 minutes for section 1 instead of 5 minutes. 

The steps of the viva process have been outlined below:

Step 1: One week prior to your viva you will be provided basic case history information and the assessment results of a paediatric client which will pertain to the developmental areas of speech and hearing. In preparation for your viva, you are expected to research your case, and prepare to answer questions in relation to the following areas. 

Step 2: You will report to the allocated room 10 minutes prior to the time outlined on Moodle. You will wait on a chair at the front of the room, until you are asked to enter by the examiner. 

Step 3: Your examiner will review all documents you have bought into the viva to ensure they align with the requirements outlined in the task description.

Step 4: Your examiner will ask 2 questions about differential diagnosis and impact. You will be given 5 minutes to answer these questions. 

Step 5:  Your examiner will ask 3 questions about goal setting. You will be given 8 minutes to answer these questions.

Step 6: Your examiner will ask 4 questions about evidence-based therapy planning. You will be given 10 minutes to answer these questions. 

Step 7: Your examiner will ask 1 question about problem-solving for diverse populations. You will be given 2 minutes to answer these questions.

You will be marked against five criteria for this assessment task:

1. Your ability to analyse and integrate assessment information to provide an accurate differential diagnosis. This section is worth 20%.
2. Your ability to analyse and interpret assessment information to inform the development of appropriate and effective goals that align with evidence-based practice and client needs. This section is worth 25%.
3. Your ability to create and justify a holistic client-centred therapy plan. This section is worth 40%.
4. Your ability to demonstrate problem solving skills by making adjustments to your therapy plan when presented with a change to a therapy case. This section is worth 10%.
5. Your professionalism and communication throughout the viva. This includes your use of appropriate, respectful and professionally acceptable language when discussing client’s with communication difficulties. This section is worth 5%.