Construction of the Protocol for the Dynamic Assessment of Pre-VerbalCommunication Development (PROCP-V, in Portuguese)
infant, child assessment, cultural-historical psychology, nonverbal communication, language development.
Several theories of child development, notably those of Piaget, Wallon, and Vygotsky, emphasizethe importance of a sensorimotor period as a key transition in the child's psychetowardssymbolic thought. In Historical-Cultural Psychology (HCP), it is argued that in the earlystagesofdevelopment, the most rudimentary milestones serve as support for the genesis of higherpsychological functions (HPF). The beginnings of verbal language, as approachedinVygotsky'swork, are consolidated when the child points with their index finger, acquiring meaningbasedonthe adult's response. Studying the antecedents of these HPF, it becomes necessary totracethehistory of premises or clues related to the development of pre-verbal communication, namelycertain socio-cognitive or linguistic precursors, as discussed in current literature. Milestonesofachild's pre-verbal communication include gestures (with emphasis on deictic types), sharedattention, gaze direction, object use, social interaction, vocalizations, perceptual-motorcoordinations, parental response, and cooperative activities (adult-child), amongothers.Examining the developmental trajectory of these indicators through appropriate instrumentshaspredictive value for the emergence of verbal language, both in children with typical andatypicaldevelopmental trajectories (e.g., as an early indicator of language acquisition delayandAutismSpectrum Disorder). In this context, the thesis focuses on constructing the Protocol forDynamicAssessment of Pre-Verbal Communication Development (PROCP-V) based ontheontoepistemological matrix of HCP. To this end, the thesis encompasses two studies. The firststudywas conducted based on two systematic review articles aimed at mapping infant assessmentinstruments, such as developmental screening scales and instruments focused onnon-verbalcommunication, for children aged 6 to 18 months. The second study involves the elaborationofthe theoretical-methodological foundation and content of the protocol, as well as conductingacontent validation study through judge evaluation. The purpose is to provide a simplelanguageprotocol, with flexible procedures, considering the perspective of families onchildren'sdevelopment, and accessible to various professionals. This tool aims to provide clinical andeducational support for the formulation of timely intervention strategies andapproaches,enabling systematic monitoring of child development from the early stages.