Social Language Impairment
Social Language Impairments (Pragmatic Language Impairment – PLI)

Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Social Language Impairments
(Pragmatic Language Impairment – PLI)
Learning Difficulty/Disability (LD)
Hearing Impairment
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)
Phonological disorders
Articulation disorder

“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't being said”
Anonymous

Communication is more than the words and sentences that we use. There is another domain of language: pragmatic or social language. This describes how we use language in different contexts.

Children with PLI will often have appropriate development of the language domains of grammar, vocabulary and phonology and will be verbally fluent. 

They have more specific difficulties with the social aspects of language:

• Turn taking,
• Eye contact,
• Topic initiation, topic maintenance and topic termination
• Typical word choices and usage
• Flexible use of language (i.e., adjusting the language according to the listener and/or context).
• Interpretation of figurative language
• Appreciating the thoughts and feelings of others

PLI may be found in children with Specific Language Impairment, Learning Disabilities, Autistic Spectrum Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injuries.