Bilingual Aphasia Test (BAT)

The Bilingual Aphasia Test (BAT)

The BAT is an assessment designed to test the language abilities of a bilingual patient with aphasia in each language spoken, giving equal weight to each language. It is currently available in many languages and language combinations. Each version of the test was created with that particular language structure in mind and was designed to be culturally appropriate. In other words, none of the test booklets are merely a translation from another language.

Target audience

Multilingual adults with aphasia; can be adapted for use with monolinguals.

Test and Stimulus Materials

The materials for the BAT are relatively similar to those of other tests commonly used to evaluate English speakers with aphasia, such as the Western Aphasia Battery and the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (BDAE). Some tasks include providing spontaneous speech, pointing to items, following multi-step commands, and identifying pictures representing objects and actions. The assessment requires one test booklet, one stimulus packet per language, and a dual-language test booklet that combines the client’s two languages. All testing materials are available for free online, and the manual is available for purchase in hardcover and as an online book.

Alternative uses

Like most aphasia tests, there are several ways to use the BAT in an unconventional manner, such as administering only specific sections to test individual skills. Specific information on adapting the test or creating versions for other languages is covered in the manual, The Assessment of Bilingual Aphasia by Paradis & Libben (1987).

Strengths

• Currently available in 73 languages and many language combinations (i.e., Arabic-Somali). Information is available for adapting tests to other languages.

• The test takes specific languages and cultures into account; it is not simply translated between languages. 

• Familiar format, clear instructions are written on testing materials similar to BDAE or WAB.

• Highly adaptable, it can be used unconventionally.

• Stimulus materials are available for free.

Weaknesses

• Impossible to test validity and provide norms in every language and language combination.

• Clinicians are encouraged to report any lack of fidelity within the materials, but the accuracy of specific tests requires clinicians to catch and report the error.

Updated March 2022