Social
Skills
Children with language disorders may have problems with social language and social
skills. For example, they may be overly direct or blunt; they may change topics
abruptly and interrupt each other often. They may not understand turn taking
in conversation.
It is not unusual for children to have pragmatic problems occasionally or
in 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. Frequently, pragmatic disorders co-exist with other language problems
such as vocabulary/concept development or grammar or other developmental disorders.
Pragmatics involves three major communication skills:
- Using language for different purposes (for example: such as greeting, informing,
demanding, promising, and requesting)
- Adapting or changing language according
to the needs or expectations of a listener or situation
- Following rules for conversations and narratives (e.g.,
telling stories, giving book reports, recounting events of the day); there are
rules for taking turns in conversation, introducing topics of conversation, staying
on the topic, rephrasing when misunderstood, and telling a story. There are also
rules for appropriate use of nonverbal signals in conversation: distance between
speaker and listener, facial expressions, and eye contact. Rules may vary depending
on language and culture.
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