Social communication disorder may make it difficult to talk with people in socially appropriate ways. Students who have been diagnosed with social communication disorder struggle with the pragmatics of spoken language, the unspoken, subtle rules of speech that allow people to connect with one another.

Here are ways to support students with social communication disorder:

• To improve social communication, provide social skills and life skills group classes.
• Use role-playing games or visuals like comic books to teach socially appropriate responses.
• Visual supports may be used to help students understand schedules, timelines, and expectations.

References

Mandy, W., Wang, A., Lee, I., & Skuse, D. (2017). Evaluating social (pragmatic) communication disorder. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 58(10), 1166-1175. doi:10.1111/jcpp.12785

Smith, S. (2020). Parenting Children with Learning Disabilities, ADHD, and Related Disorders. https://ldaamerica.org/info/what-do-parents-of-children-with-learning-disabilities-adhd-and-related-disorders-deal-with/