How Can I Target Social Language?

Pragmatic or social language is the use of language in social situations, including understanding and following conversational rules, using appropriate greetings, and interpreting nonverbal cues. For individuals who struggle with social language skills, targeted interventions by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can make a significant difference. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), developing social language skills is essential for successful communication in everyday interactions.

Assessing Social Language Skills

The first step in targeting social language is to assess the individual's current abilities. ASHA recommends a comprehensive evaluation that includes observing the individual in naturalistic settings, such as during play or conversation, to identify specific areas of difficulty. An individualized assessment helps to tailor interventions to the individual's needs, focusing on areas such as turn-taking, topic maintenance, or understanding nonverbal cues (ASHA, 2023).

Intervention Strategies

Once areas of need are identified, SLPs can employ various strategies to target social language. ASHA highlights several effective techniques:

  1. Role-Playing: Engaging in role-playing activities allows individuals to practice social scenarios in a controlled and safe environment. This could involve rehearsing greetings, making requests, or responding to others' emotions.
  2. Social Stories: Social stories are short narratives that describe specific social situations and the appropriate behaviors associated with them. These stories can be used to teach expected social responses and help individuals prepare for real-life scenarios.
  3. Video Modeling: Watching videos that demonstrate appropriate social behaviors can reinforce learning. Individuals can observe and imitate the social skills modeled in the videos, improving their understanding of social language (ASHA, 2023).
  4. Visual Supports: Using visual aids like picture schedules or emotion cards can help individuals understand social cues and navigate social situations more effectively. These tools provide concrete examples of abstract social concepts (ASHA, 2023).

Family and Peer Involvement

ASHA emphasizes the importance of involving family members and peers in the intervention process. Practicing social language skills at home and in peer group settings reinforces learning and helps individuals generalize these skills to various contexts. Parents and teachers can be trained to use strategies like prompting and positive reinforcement to support social language development in everyday situations (ASHA, 2023).

References: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2023). Social Communication and Language.