top of page

Pragmatics Language

(Social  Communication)

Young brothers talking with tin can tele

What is Pragmatics (Social Communication)?

​

Social communication or pragmatics refers to the way in which children

use language within social situations. Social language includes

three different components:

​

1. The ability to use language for different purposes;

​

 2. The ability to adapt language to meet the needs of the

 listener or situation;

​

 3. Following the often “unspoken” rules of conversation.

Portrait of happy Asian kids sharing sec

Characteristics  of problems with social  communication?

​

  • Difficulty making friends

​

  • Difficulty staying on topic during conversation

​

  • Inappropriately gaining attention of others (e.g. interrupting)

​

  • Standing too close to a person; lack of personal space

​

  • Conversations are disorganized

​

  • Inappropriate eye contact during conversations

​

  • Not listening during a conversation

​

  • Dominating the conversation

​

  • Not knowing how to ask for clarification

​

  • Inability to interpret the tone of voice of others

​

  • Limited use of language (e.g. only making statements)

​

  • Difficulty in "perspective-taking"

Why should I seek therapy if I notice difficulties with social communication (pragmatics)?

​

Therapeutic intervention can help a child:

​

  • Learn how to engage appropriately with others during play, conversation and personal interactions;                      

  • Learn how to make friends;                    

  • Learn how to respond appropriately during interactions with both familiar and unfamiliar people;                                       

  • Be aware of the social norms of social conduct and social interaction

​

If you  have concerns about your child's receptive language skills, schedule a consultation with one of our pediatric  Speech Language Pathologists.

bottom of page