A Reply to Duffy et al. on Their Reactions to the Refined Operational Definitions for the Apraxia of Speech Rating Scale.

PURPOSE: This reply provides a response to the issues raised by Duffy et al. (2026) regarding our recent article. Despite the many points of agreement with the Apraxia of Speech Rating Scale (ASRS) authors that are clarified further in this response, some of the operational definitions we proposed are related to concerns that we think deserve discussion in the research community. Specifically, we argue that the item composition of the ASRS, a scale that has been developed and successfully used for progressive apraxia of speech, overlooks central features of apraxia of speech in stroke for reasons that are not convincing.

CONCLUSIONS

The ASRS has made a substantial impact to the study of apraxia of speech by standardizing and explicating the diagnostic process, uncovering the potential subtypes of apraxia of speech, and stimulating further study and discussion about this area. However, it is our experience that modifications are needed to use it confidently with stroke populations.