Assessing expressive communication in young children using the Early Communication Indicator-Portugal

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17979/reipe.2024.11.1.10029

Keywords:

assessment, expressive communication, communication disorder, early childhood

Abstract

Given the high prevalence of Portuguese children with communication disorders, valid instruments are needed for the early detection of these disorders. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the Early Communication Indicator-Portugal (ECI-Portugal) in identifying the risk among Portuguese children of developing a communication disorder. The sample for the study comprised 480 children from across the country, aged 6-42 months, 40 of whom were identified as having communication disorders. The results found that children with communication disorders show significantly slower expressive communicative development compared to children with typical development, including longer use of vocalisations, and later emergence of words and sentences. These results demonstrate the utility of ECI-Portugal in identifying differences between children with and without communication disorders from an early age, and its potential importance as a tool for assessing and monitoring communication-related problems in Portuguese children from an early age.

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Author Biographies

Sandra Cristina Araújo Ferreira, Universidade do Minho

Instituto de Educação, Universidade do Minho, Centro de Investigação em Estudos da Criança (CIEC): https://www.ciec-um.com/
Braga ­ Portugal

Anabela Cruz-Santos, Universidade do Minho

Instituto de Educação, Universidade do Minho, Centro de Investigação em Estudos da Criança (CIEC): https://www.ciec-um.com/
Braga ­ Portugal

Leandro Almeida, Universidade do Minho

Escola de Psicologia, Universidade do Minho, Centro de Investigação em Psicologia (CIPsi): https://cipsi.uminho.pt/
Braga – Portugal

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Published

2024-07-01

How to Cite

Ferreira, S. C. A., Cruz-Santos, A., & Almeida, L. (2024). Assessing expressive communication in young children using the Early Communication Indicator-Portugal. Revista De Estudios E Investigación En Psicología Y Educación, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.17979/reipe.2024.11.1.10029

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