Should Malingering Matter to Speech Language Pathologists?

Abstract

Malingering, or the intentional feigning of illnesses or disorders for secondary gain, is a financial and legal burden to society. Documented malingered disorders that are of particular interest to speech-language pathologists (SLPs) include malingered dysphagia, stuttering, mutism, dysphonia, language disorders, and cognitive impairment. Unfortunately, little information on malingering is available to SLPs. In this presentation we will introduce SLPs to issues of malingering, and provide information on how to address malingering in the assessment process.