Functional Communication Profile (FCP-R)

The Functional Communication Profile–Revised (FCP-R) is a criterion-referenced assessment used to evaluate functional communication skills in individuals with developmental or acquired communication difficulties. Unlike norm-referenced assessments, it focuses on how individuals communicate in everyday situations rather than comparing their performance to age-based norms.

For speech-language pathologists (SLPs), the FCP-R can be particularly helpful when standardized testing does not adequately capture an individual’s communication abilities, especially for nonspeaking individuals and those who use alternative or augmentative communication (AAC).

When Should You Use the FCP-R?

The FCP-R is appropriate for individuals ages 3 through adulthood. It can be useful when evaluating individuals who have difficulty participating in traditional standardized assessments or who communicate through multiple modalities.

One of its greatest strengths is its flexibility. Rather than relying exclusively on structured testing, the FCP-R incorporates direct observation, caregiver and teacher input, and individual assessment tasks.

It allows clinicians to consider how someone communicates through speech, gestures, facial expressions, signs, AAC, and other methods.

Clinical Tip: Don’t think of the FCP-R simply as a last resort when standardized testing isn’t possible. It can provide valuable information about functional communication, independence, and participation that standardized scores alone may not capture.

What Does the FCP-R Assess?

The FCP-R evaluates communication across 10 major areas:

1. Sensory/Motor: Sensory and motor abilities that may influence communication.
2. Attentiveness: Attention, alertness, responsiveness, and awareness.
3. Receptive Language: Understanding spoken and nonverbal language, concepts, and directions.
4. Expressive Language: Communicating through speech, gestures, AAC, or other modalities.
5. Pragmatic/Social Language: Communicative intent, social interaction, and conversational skills.
6. Speech: Speech production, intelligibility, and related abilities.
7. Voice: Vocal quality, pitch, and loudness.
8. Oral: Oral behaviors and related functions.
9. Fluency: Speech fluency, rate, and rhythm.
10. Non-Oral Communication: Nonspoken communication methods, including signs and AAC.

Together, these areas help clinicians develop a broader picture of an individual’s communication abilities and support needs.

Administering the FCP-R

The FCP-R typically takes approximately 45–90 minutes, although gathering meaningful functional information may involve observations and input collected across different activities or settings.

As you assess, consider:

• Communication methods: How does the individual communicate? Are different methods used for different purposes?
• Communication functions: Can they request, refuse, comment, ask for help, or participate in social exchanges?
• Independence: Which skills are demonstrated independently? When are cues or assistance needed?
• Communication partners and settings: Does communication change depending on the activity, environment, or communication partner?
• Supports: What strategies, communication systems, or environmental adjustments improve participation?

Clinical Tip: Document what the individual can do, not just what they cannot do. Look for communication strengths, successful strategies, and skills that could be expanded through intervention.

Scoring and Interpreting FCP-R Results

Because the FCP-R is criterion-referenced, it does not provide standard scores or percentile ranks.

Instead, clinicians rate performance using the assessment’s descriptive criteria, considering factors such as severity, frequency, communication modality, independence, and quality of performance.

The assessment includes ratings ranging from typical through mild, moderate, severe, and profound, depending on the area being evaluated. Refer to the examiner’s manual for the specific rating guidelines.

However, the ratings are only part of the clinical picture.

Two individuals with similar ratings may have very different communication strengths, functional needs, and available supports.

For that reason, I recommend interpreting ratings alongside observations, caregiver and teacher input, and examples of communication in everyday activities.

Writing an FCP-R Evaluation Report

One of the challenges for newer clinicians is turning assessment findings into a meaningful report.

Rather than simply listing ratings for each area, describe how communication abilities affect the individual’s participation at home, school, and in the community.

An effective report should identify communication strengths, areas of need, current supports, and recommendations that are relevant to everyday functioning.

Example: Functional Communication Report

The following is a hypothetical example.

“The student communicates preferences through pointing, gestures, and facial expressions. They independently make choices between familiar items but rely on communication partners to interpret less familiar requests. Teacher observations indicate difficulty consistently requesting assistance during classroom activities. Continued assessment of AAC options and communication partner supports is recommended to increase independent communication across daily routines.”

Notice how this example describes what the student communicates, how they communicate, the support they need, and the functional impact rather than relying on a severity rating alone.

These details are useful when developing individualized therapy goals, recommendations, and classroom supports.

Need Help Writing Your FCP-R Report?

My FCP-R Companion Toolkit: Functional Communication Report Templates includes:

• Editable evaluation report templates with sample language
• A functional communication goal bank
• Home and school recommendations

Designed for SLPs, clinical fellows, and graduate clinicians, these resources help you organize your findings and write individualized, participation-focused reports.

The toolkit is a companion resource and does not include or replace the FCP-R assessment.

Final Thoughts

The FCP-R offers a useful way to examine communication beyond traditional testing tasks. Its greatest value is helping clinicians understand how individuals communicate in real life, what supports they need, and how to improve meaningful participation.

When writing your report, remember that the goal is not simply to document deficits or assign ratings. It’s to provide a clear, functional picture of the individual’s communication abilities that can guide intervention and support.

For additional report-writing guidance, see Write a Great Speech and Language Report.

Assessment Reference: Functional Communication Profile–Revised (FCP-R) — Publisher Information.