PURPOSE: to analyze the knowledge and the performance in speech-language pathology assessment by professionals in two Brazilian states. METHOD: the study was conducted with 71 male and female speech therapists, aged 21 to 52, working in the states of Bahia and Parana. Their knowledge and performance in speech-language pathology assessment was estimated by applying a questionnaire. RESULTS: we found that 94.4% of the interviewees are female, aged on average 28 years, graduated for no more than 5 years, and 59.2% of them have post-graduate certificates. Most of the individuals did not have any contact with assessment during their graduation and few of them took courses on the theme after the completion of the undergraduate programs. Analyzing the other data collected, we verified that the knowledge of the studied population is insufficient in this field and that the speech therapist's performance in assessment is rather restricted. CONCLUSION: more research and the inclusion of a course on Assessment in Speech-Language Pathology undergraduate and/or graduate programs are extremely important, for assessment was found to be little studied, resulting in a scarse knowledge of it by professionals, which leads to its very restricted conduction among professionals in the area.
Speech; Language and Hearing Sciences; Knowledge; Professional Practice Location; Professional Competence; Expert Testimony
