Abstract: A method of screening communication functions in a human subject comprises (a) presenting a verbal auditory stimulus to the subject, and then (b) scoring a response to the verbal auditory stimulus, with the response being an expressive response, a receptive response, or both. These steps are then cyclically repeated to provide an evaluation of the subject's response to a plurality of verbal auditory stimuli. Once the evaluation is complete, the evaluation is used to determine whether the subject should receive further diagnostic testing. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, subjects are deliberately confounded during the receptive portion of the test.