Social Communication Disorder
Social communication, or a pragmatic disorder, refers to how an individual communicates and uses languages in social situations. To have good social communication skills, we need to understand verbal and non-verbal communication rules and utilize them properly in various social situations. Schools require students to participate in various group activities and communicate with fellow students; therefore, students need to have good social communication skills. Similarly, good social communication skills in professional life allow a person to conduct various business or job-related activities effectively. Lack of social communication skills results in frustration and misunderstanding affecting all aspects of social life.
A student with a social communication disorder may have a problem utilizing and interpreting verbal and non-verbal language. Difficulties in social cognition, social interaction, language processing, and pragmatics can also lead to a social communication disorder.
Signs and Symptoms
• problems in attributing emotional states of oneself and others.
• difficulties with responding appropriately and sharing the perspective of others.
• difficulty with directing attention to the speaker or listener when communicating.
• difficulty understanding non-verbal cues and maintaining eye contact.
• problems in initiating, taking turns, or maintaining a topic during conversations.
How Can We Help?
Sometimes, social communication disorder or a pragmatic disorder can be associated with different conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or speech and language disorder. If you think that your child has a social communication disorder or a pragmatic disorder, we can provide proper evaluation, set goals, and develop an intervention plan to meet his or her unique needs.
