Language also includes pragmatics or using and understanding language socially. It includes the ability to have conversations and to “read” other people’s facial expressions, body language and tone of voice.
Pragmatics also involve knowing how to change the type of language to fit your audience. For example, you know to use short sentences and small words with young children. You use a different tone of voice with teachers than you do with friends. It also includes:
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The connection between Autism, ADHD and language issues?
Autism, ADHD and speech and language issues often go hand in hand. The symptoms can be similar. It can be hard to tell whether the main issue is a language disorder or an attention issue.
Kids with attention issues can have trouble with hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, inattention and distractibility. This can affect their language and communication in many ways. Examples include:
The development of communication skills begins in infancy, before the emergence of the first word. Any speech or language problem is likely to have a significant effect on the child's social and academic skills and behavior. The earlier a child's speech and language problems are identified and treated, the less likely it is that problems will persist or get worse. Early speech and language intervention can help children be more successful with reading, writing, schoolwork, and interpersonal relationships.
A child On the Autism Spectrum may say words clearly and use long, complex sentences with correct grammar, but still have a communication problem - if he or she has not mastered the rules for social language known as pragmatics.
Pragmatics involve three major communication skills:
Using Language for Different Purposes
Ask questions or make suggestions to use language for different purposes:
What did you do?"
"Tell me about..."Request"Tell your friend..."
"What do you want?"Question"Ask me"
Respond to the intended message rather than correcting the pronunciation or grammar. Be sure to provide an appropriate model in your own speech. For example, if an individual says, "That's how it doesn't go," respond, "You're right. That's not how it goes."
Changing Language for Different Listeners or Situations
Role-play conversations. Pretend to talk to different people in different situations. For example, set up a situation (or use one that occurs during the course of a day) in which the individual has to explain the same thing to different people, such as teaching the rules of a game, or how to make a cake. Model how the person should talk to a child versus an adult, or a family member versus a friend of the family.
Encourage the use of persuasion. For example, ask the person what he or she would say to convince family members or loved ones to let him or her do something. Discuss different ways to present a message:
Skills Comment on the topic of conversation before introducing a new topic. Add related information to encourage talking more about a particular topic.
Provide visual cues such as pictures, objects, or a story outline to help tell a story in sequence.
Encourage rephrasing or revising an unclear word or sentence. Provide an appropriate revision by asking, "Did you mean...?"
Show how nonverbal signals are important to communication. For example, talk about what happens when a facial expression does not match the emotion expressed in a verbal message (e.g., using angry words while smiling).
Behaviors that should trigger a Speech, Language evaluation (referral):
By age 3 years cannot:
Disturbance in neuromuscular control causes difficulty learning to produce sounds appropriately
Potential Consequences/Impact of Speech Impairment Can Include
Autism, ADHD and speech and language issues often go hand in hand. The symptoms can be similar. It can be hard to tell whether the main issue is a language disorder or an attention issue.
Kids with attention issues can have trouble with hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, inattention and distractibility. This can affect their language and communication in many ways. Examples include:
- Talking out of turn or at inappropriate times
- Interrupting other people when they’re talking
- “Tripping over” and having trouble finding words
- Speaking too loudly
- Losing track of what’s going on in conversation
- Having trouble filtering out background noise to pay attention
The development of communication skills begins in infancy, before the emergence of the first word. Any speech or language problem is likely to have a significant effect on the child's social and academic skills and behavior. The earlier a child's speech and language problems are identified and treated, the less likely it is that problems will persist or get worse. Early speech and language intervention can help children be more successful with reading, writing, schoolwork, and interpersonal relationships.
A child On the Autism Spectrum may say words clearly and use long, complex sentences with correct grammar, but still have a communication problem - if he or she has not mastered the rules for social language known as pragmatics.
Pragmatics involve three major communication skills:
- Using language for different purposes, such as
- greeting (e.g., hello, goodbye)
- informing (e.g., I'm going to get a cookie)
- demanding (e.g., Give me a cookie)
- promising (e.g., I'm going to get you a cookie)
- requesting (e.g., I would like a cookie, please)
- Changing language according to the needs of a listener or situation, such as
- talking differently to a baby than to an adult
- giving background information to an unfamiliar listener
- speaking differently in a classroom than on a playground
- Following rules for conversations and storytelling, such as
- taking turns in conversation
- introducing topics of conversation
- staying on topic
- rephrasing when misunderstood
- how to use verbal and nonverbal signals
- how close to stand to someone when speaking
- how to use facial expressions and eye contact
- say inappropriate or unrelated things during conversations
- tell stories in a disorganized way
- have little variety in language use
Using Language for Different Purposes
Ask questions or make suggestions to use language for different purposes:
What did you do?"
"Tell me about..."Request"Tell your friend..."
"What do you want?"Question"Ask me"
Respond to the intended message rather than correcting the pronunciation or grammar. Be sure to provide an appropriate model in your own speech. For example, if an individual says, "That's how it doesn't go," respond, "You're right. That's not how it goes."
Changing Language for Different Listeners or Situations
Role-play conversations. Pretend to talk to different people in different situations. For example, set up a situation (or use one that occurs during the course of a day) in which the individual has to explain the same thing to different people, such as teaching the rules of a game, or how to make a cake. Model how the person should talk to a child versus an adult, or a family member versus a friend of the family.
Encourage the use of persuasion. For example, ask the person what he or she would say to convince family members or loved ones to let him or her do something. Discuss different ways to present a message:
- Polite ("Please may I go to the party?") versus impolite ("You better let me go")
- Indirect ("That music is loud") versus direct ("Turn off the radio")
- Discuss why some requests would be more persuasive than others
Skills Comment on the topic of conversation before introducing a new topic. Add related information to encourage talking more about a particular topic.
Provide visual cues such as pictures, objects, or a story outline to help tell a story in sequence.
Encourage rephrasing or revising an unclear word or sentence. Provide an appropriate revision by asking, "Did you mean...?"
Show how nonverbal signals are important to communication. For example, talk about what happens when a facial expression does not match the emotion expressed in a verbal message (e.g., using angry words while smiling).
Behaviors that should trigger a Speech, Language evaluation (referral):
By age 3 years cannot:
- be understood by family and/or caregivers
- correctly produce vowels and such sounds as p, b, m, w in words
- repeat when not understood without becoming frustrated
- be understood by individuals with whom they do not associate regularly
- be understood by family and/or caregivers
- correctly produce t, d, k, g, f
- be asked to repeat without becoming sensitive
- be understood in all situations by most listeners
- correctly produce most speech sounds
- be asked to repeat without exhibiting frustration
Disturbance in neuromuscular control causes difficulty learning to produce sounds appropriately
- speech is usually slurred; difficulty controlling respiration for speech; abnormal loudness, rhythm, or vocal quality
- exhibits difficulty learning sounds to form words; may sound nasal, strangled and/or breathy
- exhibits frustration and/or avoidance of speech due to extreme difficulty forming sounds or difficulty being understood
- sound errors are prevalent but variable (i.e., "dog" could be produced "dog," "tog," "gog," "god" by same child)
- varies from rarely being able to produce sounds to ongoing speech that is rarely understood, or speech that is usually understood with frequent sound errors
- unaware of sound variations or exhibits varying degrees of frustration and/or anxiety regarding inability to "control speech"
- cannot produce movements for sound production or sounds are produced without voice (whispered speech)
- varies from inability to produce any words to extreme difficulty being understood
- exhibits frustration and/or avoidance of speech due to difficulties
- produces no meaningful words or sounds understood only by family
- speaks loudly in high pitched voice with frequent distortion, omission, and substitution of sounds
- intonation and/or rhythm of connected speech may sound abnormal
- volume may be consistently or intermittently too loud or too soft
- difficulty producing specific sounds and intelligible speech
- exhibits frustration and/or avoidance of speech
- speech has excessive nasality
Potential Consequences/Impact of Speech Impairment Can Include
- Difficulty expressing need or routine information intelligibly
- Difficulty communicating intelligibly in order to function at level of independence expected for age
- Difficulty expressing feelings intelligibly; may be at risk for frustration or depression
- Difficulty engaging successfully in social and/or classroom situations that require intelligible speech
- Difficulty achieving adequate intelligible speech to reach educational potential
- At risk for personal injury due to difficulty communicating intelligibly about a dangerous situation or calling for help