ABSTRACT
Prematurity is considered a risk factor for the overall development of children, especially of the spoken language. The current study had as purpose to introduce a bibliographic review about assessment instruments of spoken language in preschoolers born premature, used in scientific research nationally, and to contrast the results of this assessment. We selected eleven articles and eight assessment instruments related to the spoken language skills of preschoolers born premature. Out of these eight instruments, six of them are international adapted for the Brazilian culture, and two of them were built by Brazilians researchers. Among the instruments used in Brazil, there are: two scales and one screening instrument; one observation protocol; two assessment instruments of specific skills (i.e., vocabulary, fluency); and two for assessment of the receptive and expressive skills. The results of the evaluations revealed that preschool children born preterm might show changes in the spoken language. It is emphasized that, despite previous researches, the dimension of the linguistic problems of the development of children born premature still must be studied, considering the heterogeneity of this population.
Keywords:
Language; Language Tests; Infant, Premature; Premature Birth; Child, Preschool.