Speech Therapy Assessment Methodologies for the Pragmatic Component of Language in Infants

Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of this review was to gather available evidence from scientific databases regarding existing methodologies for assessing the pragmatic component of language that address speech act and communicative fact approaches. Methods: This study followed the Cochrane systematic review methodology, including controlled and uncontrolled trials that employed pragmatic language assessment in children aged 0 to 5 years and 11 months or the use of pragmatic component assessment protocols and instruments. A search was conducted in scientific and non-scientific databases and in additional sources of published trials. Results: A total of 92 studies were found according to the established criteria, of which 54 were included. An inventory of the available methodologies was made, describing their properties, aspects to be assessed, and ages of application. Analysis: Among the methodologies found, there is not one that manages to contain or account for the evaluation of illocutionary, perlocutionary and locutionary aspects and of communicative performance according to the roles assigned within communication. This makes it difficult to approach the theory of speech acts in the evaluation of language, limiting the natural dynamics of language at the discursive level. Conclusions: The studies reviewed so far refer to categories and systems of evaluation of pragmatics that are not very homogeneous. Keywords: Evaluation, Communication, Protocol, Children's Language.