Social pragmatic disorders

Social pragmatic disorders, also known as pragmatic language impairment, are a type of communication disorder that can occur in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These disorders affect a person’s ability to use language effectively in social situations and understand the social rules of communication. Here are some key characteristics and challenges associated with social pragmatic disorders in individuals with autism:

1. Difficulty with social communication: People with social pragmatic disorders may struggle with understanding and using verbal and nonverbal communication in social interactions. They may have trouble initiating and maintaining conversations, understanding sarcasm, humor, or idioms, and interpreting facial expressions, gestures, and body language. Justin struggles with knowing how to read people. He also only wants to maintain conversation through echolalia.

2. Challenges with social cues and context: Individuals with social pragmatic disorders may have difficulty understanding and interpreting social cues, such as turn-taking, personal space, and appropriate topics of conversation. They may struggle to adjust their communication style based on the social context or the needs of the listener. He is really good now about sharing such as asking “would you like the last piece of pizza ?” Turn taking has been hard especially in places with lines, because not everybody is considerate of who’s next.

3. Limited perspective-taking: People with social pragmatic disorders may find it challenging to understand others’ thoughts, feelings, and intentions. They may struggle with taking another person’s perspective, which can impact their ability to engage in reciprocal conversations and develop meaningful relationships.

4. Literal interpretation: Individuals with social pragmatic disorders may have a tendency to interpret language literally, which can lead to misunderstandings and difficulties in understanding figurative language, jokes, or metaphors. Justin is very literal the other day. Somebody said it’s raining cats and dogs. He just looked at me and said, what does that even mean?

5. Difficulty with pragmatics of speech: Pragmatics refers to the social rules of language, such as taking turns, staying on topic, and using appropriate tone and volume. People with social pragmatic disorders may have difficulty with these aspects of communication, leading to challenges in social interactions.

It’s important to note that social pragmatic disorders can vary in severity and presentation among individuals with autism. Speech therapy, social skills training, and other interventions can help individuals with social pragmatic disorders improve their communication skills and navigate social interactions more effectively.