Pediatric pragmatic language skills refer to a child’s ability to use language appropriately in social situations, including understanding and responding to nonverbal cues, taking turns in conversation, maintaining topic focus, adjusting language based on the listener, and using appropriate greetings and farewells, essentially demonstrating social communication skills in different contexts.
Key aspects of pediatric pragmatic language skills:
- Conversational turn-taking: Knowing when to speak and listen during a conversation.
- Topic maintenance: Staying on the same topic during a conversation.
- Initiating conversation: Starting a conversation with others.
- Responding appropriately: Giving relevant answers to questions and comments.
- Understanding nonverbal cues: Interpreting facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice.
- Adapting language to the listener: Speaking differently to adults versus peers, using simpler language when needed.
- Using social greetings and farewells: Saying “hello” and “goodbye” appropriately.
- Repairing communication breakdowns: Recognizing and correcting misunderstandings.
Signs of potential pragmatic language difficulties in children:
- Difficulty understanding social cues
- Interrupting others frequently
- Inability to maintain a topic of conversation
- Using inappropriate language for the situation
- Limited eye contact
- Difficulty interpreting facial expressions How to support pragmatic language development:
- Model appropriate social communication skills
- Engage in conversations with your child, asking open-ended questions
- Play social games that involve turn-taking and conversation
- Point out nonverbal cues and discuss their meaning
- Read books together and discuss the characters’ emotions and interactions
- Seek professional support from a speech-language pathologist if concerns are present
