As parents and caregivers, we love watching our kids grow, learn, and connect with the world around them. We celebrate their first words, their growing sentences, and how they start to express themselves. But what happens when communicating goes beyond just saying words? What about the “hidden rules” of conversation, the way someone’s body language tells a story, or figuring out what someone really means even when they don’t say it directly?
This is where pragmatics comes in—it’s a huge, often-missed part of language that guides how we use words and actions in social situations. At Michigan Pediatric Therapy, we get that great communication is more than just speaking clearly or using perfect grammar. It’s about confidently handling all the tricky social interactions in life—and we’re here to help kids develop these important social communication skills.
This article will explain what pragmatics actually is, what it looks like when a child struggles with it, and most importantly, how our expert speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in Farmington Hills, Michigan, can help your child become a social communication pro.
What is Pragmatics?
Think of language like a team sport. The words and grammar are like the players and the ball, but pragmatics is the coach—it tells us how to play, when to pass, and what feeling we’re trying to get across to the other team (or person!).
Simply put, pragmatics in speech therapy refers to the unwritten social rules of language. It’s about using language in ways that make sense and work well in different social settings. It covers a lot of different skills, including:
Using language for different reasons:
Changing how you talk depending on who you're with or where you are:
Following the rules of talking and telling stories:
This is a big one! It includes:
- Taking turns: Knowing when it’s your chance to talk and when to listen.
- Staying on topic: Keeping the conversation focused so everyone knows what’s going on.
- Starting and changing topics smoothly: Knowing how to gently move from one subject to another.
- Fixing misunderstandings: Realizing when someone doesn’t get what you’re saying and finding a different way to explain it.
- Knowing how to start and end conversations: Kicking off a chat and wrapping it up politely.
Understanding and using body language and expressions:
This is key for understanding what people are really thinking or feeling and showing your own intentions. It involves:
- Eye contact: Knowing how much and when to look someone in the eye.
- Facial expressions: Understanding feelings like happiness, sadness, anger, or confusion just by looking at someone’s face.
- Body language: Picking up on cues from how someone stands, moves their hands, or how close they stand to you.
- Tone of voice: Realizing if someone is being sarcastic, joking, serious, or frustrated just by the sound of their voice.
Figuring out what's implied (“reading between the lines”):
This is about picking up on messages that aren’t said directly. It includes understanding:
- Sarcasm and irony: When someone says the opposite of what they mean, often to be funny or to make a point.
- Figurative language: Common sayings like “it’s raining cats and dogs,” or using metaphors and similes.
- Jokes and humor: Getting the funny part!
Understanding other people's viewpoints (perspective-taking):
Signs Your Child Might Be Struggling with Social Communication Skills
It can be tough for parents to spot pragmatic language issues because they often look more like social challenges than obvious speech or language delays. But recognizing these signs is the first step to getting your child the specialized help they need.
Common signs that a child might have pragmatic language difficulties include:
- Trouble starting conversations: They might wait for others to talk first or find it hard to join a group.
- Challenges keeping a conversation going: They might interrupt a lot, talk only about their own favorite topics without letting others talk, or struggle to stay focused on what everyone else is talking about.
- Poor turn-taking: Interrupting often, talking over people, or having really long pauses when it’s their turn to speak.
- Struggling to understand body language or facial cues:Missing hints from how someone looks or acts (like not realizing someone is bored or mad). If you’re looking for “non-verbal communication skills for kids,” this is a big one.
- Difficulty with eye contact: Either too little, too much, or not making eye contact when it’s expected.
- Taking things literally:Not understanding jokes, sarcasm, or common sayings, which can lead to misunderstandings. If you often say “my child takes everything literally,” this is a strong clue.
- Not understanding personal space:Standing too close or too far away from people.
- Struggling to talk differently in different situations:Talking to their principal the exact same way they’d talk to their best friend.
- Trouble asking for things politely or apologizing sincerely:Not knowing how to use language for different social purposes.
- Challenges with telling stories:Their stories might be messy, leave out important details, or jump around in a way that’s hard to follow.
- Having a hard time asking for help when they don’t understand: Not knowing when to say, “Can you explain that again?”
- Difficulties solving problems in social situations:Not knowing how to handle disagreements or conflicts with friends.
These challenges can affect kids with different diagnoses, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), and even kids who are otherwise developing normally but just need a boost with their social skills. If you’re searching for “autism speech therapy for social skills” or “social skills therapy for ADHD children,” our services can really help.
How Speech-Language Pathologists Make a Huge Difference for Pragmatic Deficits
You might wonder, “Why would a speech-language pathologist help with social skills?” The answer is pretty clear: language is the foundation of how we connect with others. SLPs are perfectly suited to address pragmatic language issues because we truly understand the deep link between a child’s ability to understand and use language and their knack for navigating social situations successfully.
Our expertise goes way beyond just the sounds kids make or the rules of grammar. We dig into how language is used in everyday life, how it affects friendships and relationships, and how it shapes a child’s ability to fully participate in their world.
At Michigan Pediatric Therapy, our speech-language pathologists (SLPs) treat pragmatic language deficits using specific, proven methods that are fun and all about the child. Here’s how we help:
Directly Teaching and Showing Social Rules:
- Social stories: Short, simple stories that explain social situations, the feelings involved, and good ways to respond. These are great tools for kids learning “social norms.”
- Video modeling: Watching videos of good social interactions and talking about them.
- Role-playing: Providing a safe, supportive place for kids to practice starting conversations, taking turns, greeting people, asking for things, and responding well.
- Visual aids: Using pictures, checklists, and simple scripts to help kids remember and use social rules.
Building Conversation Skills:
- Start and keep topics going: Ways to get a conversation going and keep it flowing.
- Ask and answer questions: Learning to ask good questions and give clear answers.
- Take turns well: Practicing listening, waiting for pauses, and knowing when it’s their turn to talk.
- Fix communication mix-ups: Teaching phrases like “Can you say that again?” or “I don’t get it.”
- Notice what the listener is doing: Learning to tell if the person listening is bored, confused, or interested.
Improving Body Language and Nonverbal Communication:
- Facial expressions: Activities that help kids figure out emotions from pictures or real-life examples.
- Body language:Understanding what different ways of standing or hand movements might mean.
- Eye contact: Teaching how much and when it’s good to make eye contact.
- Tone of voice: Recognizing how someone’s voice can show feelings (like excitement, anger, sadness).
Helping Understand Tricky Language and Hidden Meanings:
- Explaining common sayings: Breaking down phrases like “chip on your shoulder.”
- Analyzing humor: Talking about jokes and what makes them funny.
- Practicing “reading between the lines”: Helping kids figure things out even when the information isn’t said directly. This is critical for social inferencing skills.
Building Perspective-Taking and Empathy:
- “Theory of Mind” activities: Games and talks that encourage kids to think about what others might be thinking or feeling.
- Solving social problems:Working through pretend situations and talking about different viewpoints and ways to solve issues.
- Emotional regulation strategies: Helping kids identify and manage their own feelings so they can respond well to how others are feeling.
Working with Families and Teachers:
- Parent coaching: Giving parents practical ideas and tools to practice pragmatic skills at home.
- School meetings: Connecting as needed with teachers to make sure kids get consistent support in the classroom.
- Home practice ideas: Giving families fun, easy ways to add pragmatic skills into their daily routines.
Our Friendly, Play-Based Approach at Michigan Pediatric Therapy
At Michigan Pediatric Therapy, we know that therapy has to be fun and motivating for kids to really learn. Our approach to pediatric speech therapy for pragmatics is always:
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- Customized: We do thorough evaluations to really understand your child’s unique strengths and what they need to work on, then create a therapy plan just for them.
- Play-Based: Kids learn best when they’re playing! We weave pragmatic goals into fun, interactive activities and games that feel like real social situations. This could involve playing make-believe, board games, or group activities that naturally get kids talking and interacting.
- Practical: Our main goal is to give your child skills they can use right away and effectively in their daily lives—at school, with friends, or at home.
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Choose Michigan Pediatric Therapy: Your Partner in Social Connection
It can be tough to watch your child struggle to connect with friends, join conversations, or understand social cues. But remember, with the right support, your child absolutely can develop the pragmatic language skills they need to build great friendships and handle the social world with confidence.
If you’ve noticed signs that your child might be having trouble with pragmatics—whether they’re a toddler finding it hard to engage or an older child struggling with friendships—please don’t wait to get professional help. Getting help early can make a huge difference for their long-term success.
Ready to help your child truly connect with others?
- Contact Michigan Pediatric Therapy today for a full assessment and to talk about your child’s needs. You can reach us by phone at (248) 939-4030.
- Check out our website to learn more about all our pediatric speech therapy services, including specialized help for pragmatic language disorder treatment, speech sound issues, language delays, and more.
- Come visit our clinic in Farmington Hills, Michigan. We’re proud to serve families across Oakland County and the wider Metro Detroit area, offering caring and effective pediatric speech therapy for social skills.
Let us help your child become a more confident, connected, and socially savvy communicator!
Michigan Pediatric Therapy
📍 27655 Middlebelt Rd., Suite 130, Farmington Hills, MI 48334
📞 (248) 939-4030
🌐 mipediatrictherapy.com
