5/322 Annangrove Road, Rouse Hill NSW 2155
admin@mccallgardens.org.au
(02) 9679 1031
5/322 Annangrove Road, Rouse Hill NSW 2155
admin@mccallgardens.org.au
(02) 9679 1031
Pragmatic Language Explained:
What Every Parent Should Know
Pragmatic Language – Social Communication
Pragmatic language skills are the ability to use language for social inclusion. This includes using non-verbal communication (e.g. face and body language, tone of voice), understanding and responding to another person’s perspective, having flexible communication styles, understanding what is not explicitly said, and understanding and usual non-literal language (e.g., sarcasm, figures of speech).
Children begin to learn pragmatic language skills as soon as they are born!
In a 2023 study (Saul, Griffiths & Norbury, 2023)
- 0% – 1.3% of children between the ages of 5-6 have social communication difficulties (pragmatic language) without additional diagnoses of structural language disorder.
- However, 6.1% – 10.5% of the children have social communication difficulties (pragmatic language) combined with structural language difficulties, which can have significant effects on the child’s behavior development and academic achievement.
How Pragmatic Language difficulties affect everyday life for children?
- Foundational skills: having poor social communication and play skills earlier in life put children at a higher risk of developing a language disorder later in life.
- Social relationships: Children may struggle with using language to understand and self-regulate emotions, understanding different perspectives and how it can affect their own mental state and express that.
- Social Relationships: Children may have difficulties with establishing and maintaining meaningful relationships in all environments.
- Independence: Pragmatic challenges can impact problem-solving, emotional regulation, and managing various social situations.
Strategies for promoting Pragmatic Language development in toddlers.
- Get down to the child’s level so that there is good eye-contact and plenty of opportunities for face-to-face communication.
- Use matching toys to create shared experiences.
- Follow the child’s lead, copy what they do (e.g. body movements, sounds, and play style)
- Add to their play by doing something slightly different, where they can see it (e.g., using a toy differently, adding to the story, or changing the setting).
- Make the activity fun and engaging!
Our speech therapists can assess and diagnose social communication disorders alongside structural language difficulties in children and adolescents for more tailored support and intervention. This will avoid under-identification of children with pragmatic language deficits and ensure they get the help they need.
Reference:
Saul, J., Griffiths, S., & Norbury, C. F. (2023). Prevalence and functional impact of social (pragmatic) communication disorders. Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines, 64(3), 376–387.