Social Skills and Pragmatics: Developing Social Communication
Social skills and language pragmatics constitute the necessary competencies for effective communication in society: knowing what to say, how, when and to whom. Often deficient in ASD, ADHD and language disorders, these skills can be worked on explicitly. This guide presents the different social skills and strategies to develop them.
📋 In this article
What is pragmatics?
Pragmatics is the branch of linguistics that studies the use of language in social context. While phonology focuses on sounds, syntax on sentence structure and semantics on word meaning, pragmatics focuses on how we use language to communicate effectively with others.
Pragmatic skills allow us to:
- Adapt our speech to the interlocutor and context
- Respect conversation rules (turn-taking, topic...)
- Understand the implicit, humor, irony
- Use non-verbal language (eye contact, gestures, expressions)
- Interpret others' intentions
Major social skills
👋 Initiating and maintaining a conversation
Knowing how to make contact (greet, introduce oneself), introduce a topic, ask questions, build on what the other person says, and conclude appropriately. This is a complex skill that requires coordinating several abilities.
🔄 Respecting turn-taking
Knowing how to wait your turn to speak, not interrupt, recognize signals that indicate the other person has finished (pause, eye contact). A skill often difficult in ADHD and ASD.
🎯 Staying on topic
Staying on the conversation theme, making relevant comments, avoiding digressions or abrupt topic changes. Also knowing how to change the subject appropriately.
👀 Using and interpreting non-verbal cues
Eye contact, facial expressions, distance, gestures are integral parts of communication. Knowing how to use and decode them is essential.
🎭 Understanding emotions and intentions
Identifying emotions in oneself and others, understanding the intentions behind behaviors (theory of mind), adapting one's response accordingly.
📖 Understanding implicit and figurative language
Understanding what is not explicitly said: implications, irony, metaphors, idiomatic expressions, humor. Difficult for people with ASD who may take language literally.
Signs of pragmatic difficulties
| Domain | Observed difficulties |
|---|---|
| Conversation | Monologuing, doesn't respond to questions, changes subject without warning, doesn't share the interlocutor's interests |
| Turn-taking | Interrupts, doesn't let the other person speak, or conversely never intervenes |
| Non-verbal | Avoids eye contact, inappropriate distance (too close/far), limited or inappropriate facial expressions |
| Adaptation | Speaks the same way to a child as to an adult, doesn't adapt to formal/informal context |
| Comprehension | Takes everything literally, doesn't understand humor, implications, irony |
| Emotions | Difficulty identifying emotions in others, inappropriate emotional reactions |
Affected populations
- ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder): pragmatic difficulties at the core of the disorder
- ADHD: impulsivity impacting turn-taking, listening difficulties
- DLD (Developmental Language Disorder): pragmatic difficulties often associated
- Social (pragmatic) communication disorder: pragmatic difficulties without other ASD characteristics
- Intellectual disability: delay in social skills acquisition
Assessment of pragmatic skills
Assessment is conducted by a speech therapist and/or psychologist. It includes:
- Observation in natural communication situations
- Questionnaires completed by parents/teachers
- Specific tests: understanding emotions, social situations, metaphors
- Conversation analysis: video, transcription
Intervention strategies
Explicit instruction
People with pragmatic difficulties don't learn naturally social rules through observation. They must be taught explicitly: break down skills, explain rules, give concrete examples.
Social stories (Carol Gray method)
Short texts describing a social situation, expected behaviors and their justification. Personalized for the child, read regularly before the relevant situation.
Role-playing and video modeling
Acting out social situations for practice. Watching videos showing appropriate behaviors. Analyzing movie clips.
Social skills groups
Sessions in small groups with peers, supervised by a professional. Allow practice in a safe environment with immediate feedback.
Visual supports
Pictograms, comic strips, cards help understand and memorize abstract social rules. Thought bubbles to visualize what others are thinking.
Our downloadable tools
📖 Social scenarios
Short illustrated stories describing common social situations and expected behaviors. To prepare for difficult situations.
Download💬 Conversation cards
Cards with conversation starters, topics, questions to ask. To practice initiating and maintaining a discussion.
Download😊 Emotions and faces
Emotion cards with real face photos. To learn to recognize facial expressions and their meanings.
Download💭 Thought bubbles
Support to visualize what characters are thinking in different situations. Works on theory of mind.
DownloadFrequently asked questions
Yes, social skills can be taught and learned, even if they don't come naturally. Teaching must be explicit, concrete and repeated. Progress is possible at any age, though early intervention is preferable. However, it often remains more cognitively demanding for these individuals than for those who acquire them naturally.
This is typical of a pragmatic disorder. The child masters formal language (vocabulary, grammar) but not its social use. They may have a rich vocabulary and speak like an adult, while struggling to have a true reciprocal conversation or understand implicit social codes.
Studies show effectiveness of structured social skills groups, especially when they include parents to generalize skills. Improvement is often observed within the session context; transfer to real-life situations requires specific generalization work.
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Discover all tools →Article written by the DYNSEO team in collaboration with speech therapists. Last updated: December 2024.
