Social Pragmatic Intervention

What does Social Pragmatic Mean in the context of Speech Language Development?

You have invited your friend over for dinner. Your child sees  your friend reach for some cookies and says, “Better not  take those, or you’ll get even bigger.” You’re  embarrassed that your child could speak so rudely. However, you  should consider that your child may may not know how to use  language appropriately in social situations and did not mean harm  by the comment.

An individual may say words clearly and use long, complex  sentences with correct grammar, but still have a communication  problem – if he or she has not mastered the rules for social  language known as   pragmatics. Adults may also have difficulty with pragmatics, for example,  as a result of a brain injury or stroke.

Pragmatics involve three major communication skills:

Using language for different purposes, such as:

  • greeting (e.g., hello, goodbye)
  • informing (e.g., I’m going to get a cookie)
  • demanding (e.g., Give me a cookie)
  • promising (e.g., I’m going to get you a cookie)
  • requesting (e.g., I would like a cookie, please)

 

Changing language according to the needs of a listener or situation, such as:

  • talking differently to a baby than to an adult
  • giving background information to an unfamiliar  listener
  • speaking differently in a classroom than on a playground

 

Following rules for conversations and storytelling, such as

  • taking turns in conversation
  • introducing topics of conversation
  • staying on topic
  • rephrasing when misunderstood
  • how to use verbal and nonverbal signals
  • how close to stand to someone when speaking
  • how to use facial expressions and eye contact

These rules may vary across cultures and within cultures.    It is important to understand the rules of your communication    partner.

An individual with pragmatic problems may:

  • say inappropriate or unrelated things during conversations
  • tell stories in a disorganized way
  • have little variety in language use

It is not unusual for children to have pragmatic problems in  only a few situations. However, if problems in social language  use occur often and seem inappropriate considering the  child’s age, a pragmatic disorder may exist. Pragmatic  disorders often coexist with other language problems such as  vocabulary development or grammar. Pragmatic problems can lower  social acceptance. Peers may avoid having conversations with an  individual with a pragmatic disorder.

Reference: American Speech Language and Hearing Association: http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/pragmatics.htm

Learn more on this topic:     Pragmatic Language Tips

HOW DOES ROBYN SKERRETT HELP CHILDREN WITH SOCIAL PRAGMATIC SKILLS?

1. Small group therapy sessions

2. Video Modelling and Feedback