Development and Validation of a Scale to Detect Late Language Emergence in Spanish-Speaking Children

• Autores: Verónica Martínez López, Paula Solano Pizarro, José Carlos Núñez Pérez
• Localización: Psicothema, ISSN-e 1886-144X, ISSN 0214-9915, Vol. 37, Nº. 4, 2025, págs. 52-61
• Idioma: inglés
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Desarrollo y Validación de una Escala para la Detección de Niños Castellanohablantes Tardíos del Lenguaje
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo
• Resumen
  • español

    Antecedentes: La detección de niños hablantes tardíos es relevante por su mayor riesgo a manifestar posteriormente trastornos persistentes en el desarrollo del lenguaje. Sería conveniente disponer de instrumentos de medida breves y con adecuadas propiedades psicométricas, que hasta ahora no han sido elaborados. El objetivo fue desarrollar, analizar y validar la estructura factorial de una escala observacional para la detección de niños castellanohablantes de entre 2 y 3 años con Inicio Tardío aplicable por los profesionales del lenguaje y por las educadoras de los centros de Educación Infantil de 0 a 3 años. Método: La muestra está formada por 364 niños de entre 24 y 38 meses (M = 31.93; DT = 3.512; 49.7% niñas). Resultados: Los coeficientes de fiabilidad estimados oscilaron entre ω = .77 y ω =.97. Los análisis factoriales indicaron que el mejor modelo que explica los criterios de evaluación de la escala se articuló en torno a cinco factores: fonología, léxico-semántico, morfosintaxis, comprensión y comunicación. Las correlaciones entre las dimensiones de la escala y las del Inventario Comunicativo MacArthur son estadísticamente significativas. Conclusiones: La escala para detectar a los niños españoles hablantes tardíos parece ser un instrumento breve, sencillo y con adecuadas propiedades psicométricas.

  • English

    Background: Detecting late talkers among children is important because they are at greater risk of subsequently manifesting persistent disorders in language development. Therefore, it would be beneficial to have quick measurement tools with adequate psychometric properties, which have not yet been developed. This study set out to develop, analyse and validate the factor structure of an observational scale for detecting Late Language Emergence (LLE) in Spanish-speaking children aged 2-3 years that could be applied not only by language professionals but also teachers in early childhood education centres for children aged 0-3 years. Method: The sample comprised 364 children aged 24-38 months (M = 31.93; SD = 3.512; 49.7% girls). Results: The estimated reliability coefficients ranged from ω = .77 to ω = .97. Factor analyses indicated that the best model explaining the scale’s assessment criteria was articulated around five factors: phonology, lexical semantics, morphosyntax, comprehension and communication. The correlations between the dimensions of the scale and those of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory were statistically significant. Conclusions: The scale to detect late talkers among Spanish children appears to be a concise, simple instrument with suitable psychometric properties.

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