Social Pragmatic Speech Disorders

Pragmatic language refers to the social language skills of daily interactions, including what is said, how it is said, non-verbal communication (eye contact, facial expressions, body language) and how appropriate interactions are in a given situation.

Pragmatic skills include:

- Social communications (greeting, commenting, asking questions)
- Conversational skills, storytelling, introducing or contributing to a topic
- Asking for help or clarification, responding to information or offering help
- Avoiding repetition or irrelevant information
- Adjusting language to suit the listener and setting
- Using language of a given peer group
- Using humor
- Appropriately gaining attention and interrupting, taking turns
- Offering/responding to expressions of affection appropriately
- Making eye contact
- Using appropriate facial expressions and body language
- Vocal intonation
- Body distance and personal space

Many children’s difficulties with components of pragmatic language include:

Language disorders: Trouble understanding others (receptive language) or sharing thoughts, ideas and feelings (expressive language). These deficits may be spoken or written and involve the form (phonology, morphology, syntax), content (semantics) and/or use (pragmatics) of language in functional and socially appropriate ways.

Cognitive-communication disorders: Problems organizing thoughts, paying attention, remembering, planning or problem-solving. These serious deficits can be congenital or caused by a stroke, traumatic brain injury or dementia.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Selective Mutism

CONNECT TO CARE