title: Preschoolers' Performance on the Brazilian Adaptation of the Preschool Language Assessment Instrument - Second Edition.
abstract: The objective was to test whether the Brazilian version of the Preschool Language Assessment Instrument - Second Edition (PLAI-2) has the potential to assess and identify differences in typical language development of Portuguese-speaking preschoolers.
  
  
  
  The study included 354 children of both genders with typical language development who were between the ages of 3 years and 5 years 11 months. The version of the PLAI-2 previously translated into Brazilian Portuguese was used to assess the communication skills of these preschool-age children.
  
  
  
  Statistically significant differences were found between the age groups, and the raw score tended to increase as a function of age. With nonstandardized assessments, the performances of the younger groups revealed behavioral profiles (e.g., nonresponsive, impulsive behavior) that directly influenced the evaluation.
  
  
  
  The findings of this study show that the PLAI-2 is effective in identifying differences in language development among Brazilian children of preschool age. Future research should include studies validating and standardizing these findings.
authors: Speech, Language and Hearing Science Department, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Marília, Brazil.
authors: Tâmara Andrade
authors: TA
authors: Lindau
authors: Natalia Freitas
authors: NF
authors: Rossi
authors: Celia Maria
authors: CM
authors: Giacheti
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D007804:Language Development; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014175:Translating