Practitioner Review: Social (pragmatic) communication disorder conceptualization, evidence and clinical implications

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines

Volumn 55, Issue 3, 2014, Pages 204-216

  Norbury, Courtenay F ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF LONDON   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Assessment; autism spectrum disorders; language disorder; pragmatics; social communication

Indexed keywords

CLASSIFICATION; COMMUNICATION DISORDERS; HUMAN; SOCIAL BEHAVIOR;

COMMUNICATION DISORDERS; HUMANS; SOCIAL BEHAVIOR;

EID: 84894505334     PISSN: 00219630     EISSN: 14697610     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12154     Document Type: Article

References (93)

1. Adams, C., (2002). Practitioner Review: The assessment of language pragmatics. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 438, 973-987.
2. Adams, C., &, Bishop, D., (1989). Conversational characteristics of children with semantic-pragmatic disorder. I: Exchange structure, turn taking, repairs and cohesion. British Journal of Disorders of Communication, 24, 211-219.
3. Adams, C., Gaile, J., Freed, J., &, Lockton, E., (2010). Targeted Observation of Pragmatics in Children's Conversation (TOPICC). Available from: http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/scip/topicc.pdf [last accessed 31 January 2013].
4. Adams, C., &, Lloyd, J.T., (2005). Elicited and spontaneous communicative functions and stability of conversational measures with children who have pragmatic language impairments. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 40, 333-348.
5. Adams, C., Lloyd, J., Aldred, C., &, Baxendale, J., (2006). Exploring the effects of communication intervention for developmental pragmatic language impairments: A signal-generation study. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 41, 41-66.
6. Adams, C., Gail, J., Lockton, E., &, Freed, J., (2011). Targeted observation of pragmatics in children's conversations (TOPICC): adapting a research tool into a clinical assessment profile. Speech and Language Therapy in Practice, (Spring), 7-10.
7. Adams, C., Lockton, E., Freed, J., Gaile, J., Earl, G., McBean, K.,. &, Law, J., (2012). The Social Communication Intervention Project: A randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness of speech and language therapy for school-age children who have pragmatic and social communication problems with or without autism spectrum disorder. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 47, 233-244.
8. American Psychiatric Association. (2013a). Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder: DSM-5 Fact Sheet. Available from: http://www.psychiatry. org/practice/dsm/dsm5 [last accessed 31 January 2013].
9. American Psychiatric Association (2013b). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
10. Baron-Cohen, S., Leslie, A.M., &, Frith, U., (1985). Does the autistic child have a "theory of mind?". Cognition, 21, 37-46.
11. Bishop, D.V.M., (1998). Development of the Children's Communication Checklist (CCC): A method for assessing qualitative aspects of communicative impairment in children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 39, 879-891.
12. Bishop, D.V.M., (2003a). Children's Communication Checklist-2. London: Psychological Corporation.
13. Bishop, D.V.M., (2003b). Expression, Reception and Recall of Narrative Instrument. London: The Psychological Corporation.
14. Bishop, D.V., (2010). Which neurodevelopmental disorders get researched and why? PLoS ONE, 5, e15112.
15. Bishop, D.V., &, Adams, C., (1989). Conversational characteristics of children with semantic-pragmatic disorder. II: What features lead to a judgement of inappropriacy? British Journal of Disorders of Communication, 24, 241-263.
16. Bishop, D.V., &, Baird, G., (2001). Parent and teacher report of pragmatic aspects of communication: Use of the children's communication checklist in a clinical setting. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 43, 809-818.
17. Bishop, D., Chan, J., Adams, C., Hartley, J., &, Weir, F., (2000). Conversational responsiveness in specific language impairment: Evidence of disproportionate pragmatic difficulties in a subset of children. Development and Psychopathology, 12, 177-199.
18. Bishop, D.V.M., &, Norbury, C.F., (2002). Exploring the borderlands of autistic disorder and specific language impairment: A study using standardised diagnostic instruments. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 43, 917-929.
19. Bishop, D.V.M., &, Rosenbloom, L., (1987). Childhood language disorders: Classification and overview. In, W. Yule, &, M. Rutter, (Eds.), Language Development and Disorders. Clinics in Developmental Medicine (double issue), Nos. 101-2 (pp. 16-41). MacKeith Press: London.
20. Bishop, D.V.M., Whitehouse, A.J.O., Watt, H.J., &, Line, E.A., (2008). Autism and diagnostic substitution: Evidence from a study of adults with a history of developmental language disorder. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 50, 341-345.
21. Boudreau, D., (2008). Narrative abilities: Advances in research and implications for clinical practice. Topics in Language Disorders, 28, 99-114.
22. Brinton, B., Fujiki, M., &, McKee, L., (1998). Negotiation skills of children with specific language impairment. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, 41, 927-940.
23. Brock, J., Norbury, C.F., Einav, S., &, Nation, K., (2008). Eye-movements reveal context processing difficulties among children with autism and language impairments. Cognition, 108, 896-904.
24. Brooks, S., &, Bowler, D., (1992). Autism by another name? Semantic and pragmatic impairments in children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 22, 61-81.
25. Capps, L., Kehres, J., &, Sigman, M., (1998). Conversational abilities among children with autism and children with developmental delays. Autism, 2, 325-344.
26. Capps, L., Losh, M., &, Thurber, C., (2000). 'The frog ate the bug and made his mouth sad': Narrative competence in children with autism. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 28, 193-204.
27. Carter, J.A., Lees, J.A., Muria, G.M., Gona, J., Neville, B.G.R., &, Newton, C.R.J.C., (2005). Issues in the development of cross-cultural assessments of speech and language for children. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 40, 385-401.
28. Chiat, S., &, Roy, P., (2008). Early phonological and sociocognitive skills as predictors of later language and social communication outcomes. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49, 635-645.
29. Cohen, N.J., Farnia, F., &, Im-Bolter, N., (2013). Higher order language competence and adolescent mental health. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 54, 733-744.
30. Cohen, N.J., Menna, R., Vallance, D.D., Barwick, M.A., Im, N., &, Horodezky, N.B., (1998). Language, social cognitive processing, and behavioural characteristics of psychiatrically disturbed children with previously identified and unsuspected language impairments. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 39, 853-864.
31. Demir, E., Levine, S.C., &, Goldin-Meadow, S., (2010). Narrative skill in children with early unilateral brain injury: A possible limit to functional plasticity. Developmental Science, 13 (4), 636-647.
32. Dennis, M., &, Barnes, M.A., (2001). Comparison of literal, inferential, and intentional text comprehension in children with mild or severe closed head injury. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 16 (5), 456-468.
33. Dockrell, J., Ricketts, J., Palikara, O., Charman, T., &, Lindsay, G., (2012). Profiles of need and provision for children with language impairments and autism spectrum disorders in mainstream schools: A prospective study. Research Report DFE-RR247-BCRP9. London: Department for Education.
34. Donno, R., Parker, G., Gilmour, J., &, Skuse, D.H., (2010). Social communication deficits in disruptive primary-school children. British Journal of Psychiatry, 196, 282-289.
35. Durkin, K., &, Conti-Ramsden, G., (2007). Language, social behavior, and the quality of friendships in adolescents with and without a history of specific language impairment. Child Development, 78, 1441-1457.
36. Finestack, L.H., Palmer, M., &, Abbeduto, L., (2012). Macrostructural narrative language of adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome or fragile X syndrome. American Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 21, 29-46.
37. Gerber, S., Brice, A., Capone, N., Fujiki, M., &, Timler, G., (2012). Language use in social interactions of school-age children with language impairments: An evidence-based systematic review of treatment. Language, Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, 43, 235-249.
38. Gernsbacher, M.A., &, Pripas-Kapit, S.R., (2012). Who's missing the point? A commentary on claims that autistic persons have a specific deficit in figurative language comprehension Metaphor and Symbol, 27, 93-105.
39. Geurts, H.M., Verté, S., Oosterlaan, J., Roeyers, H., Hartman, C.A., Mulder, E.J.,. &, Sergeant, J.A., (2004). Can the Children's Communication Checklist differentiate between children with autism, children with ADHD, and normal controls? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45, 1437-1453.
40. Gibson, J., Adams, C., Lockton, E., &, Green, J., (2013). Social communication disorder outside autism? A diagnostic classification approach to delineating pragmatic language impairment, high functioning autism and specific language impairment Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, In press.
41. Gilmour, J., Hill, B., Place, M., &, Skuse, D., (2004). Social communication deficits in conduct disorder: A clinical and community survey. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45, 967-978.
42. Happé, F.G.E., (1993). Communicative competence and theory of mind in autism: A test of relevance theory. Cognition, 48, 101-119.
43. Holck, P., Nettelbladt, U., &, Sandberg, A.D., (2009). Children with cerebral palsy, spina bifida and pragmatic language impairment: Differences and similarities in pragmatic ability. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 30, 942-951.
44. Horowitz, L., Jansson, L., Ljungberg, T., &, Hedenbro, M., (2006). Interaction before conflict and conflict resolution in pre-school boys with language impairment. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 41, 441-466.
45. Howlin, P., Mawhood, L., &, Rutter, M., (2000). Autism and developmental receptive language disorder-a follow-up comparison in early adult life. II: Social, behavioural, and psychiatric outcomes. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 41, 561-578.
46. Huerta, M., Bishop, S.L., Duncan, A., Hus, V., &, Lord, C., (2012). Application of DSM-5 criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder to three samples of children with DSM-IV diagnoses of pervasive developmental disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 169, 1056-1064.
47. John, A., Rowe, M.L., &, Mervis, C.B., (2009). Referential communication skills of children with Williams syndrome: Understanding when messages are not adequate. American Journal of Intellectual Developmental Disabilities, 114, 85-99.
48. Katsos, N., Roqueta, C.A., Estevan, R.A.C., &, Cummins, C., (2011). Are children with specific language impairment competent with the pragmatics and logic of quantification? Cognition, 119, 43-57.
49. Kay-Raining Bird, E., Cleave, P.L., White, D., Pike, H., &, Helmkay, A., (2008). Written and oral narratives of children and adolescents with Down syndrome. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 51, 436-450.
50. Ketelaars, M.P., Cuperus, J., Jansonius, K., &, Verhoeven, L., (2010). Pragmatic language impairment and associated behavioural problems. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 45, 204-214.
51. Ketelaars, M.P., Cuperus, J., van Daal, J., Jansonius, K., &, Verhoeven, L., (2009). Screening for pragmatic language impairment: The potential of the Children's Communication Checklist. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 30, 952-960.
52. Laws, G., &, Bishop, D.V.M., (2004). Pragmatic language impairment and social deficits in Williams syndrome: A comparison with Down's syndrome and specific language impairment. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 39, 45-64.
53. Leekam, S.R., Tandos, J., McConachie, H., Meins, E., Parkinson, K., Wright, C.,. &, Le Couteur, A., (2007). Repetitive behaviours in typically developing 2-year-olds. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 48, 1131-1138.
54. Leonard, M.A., Milich, R., &, Lorch, E.P., (2011). The role of pragmatic language use in mediating the relation between hyperactivity and inattention and social skills problems. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, 54, 567-579.
55. Lord, C., &, Jones, R.M., (2012). Re-thinking the classification of autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 53, 490-509.
56. Lord, C., Risi, S., Lambrecht, L., Cook, E.H., Leventhal, B.L., DiLavore, P.C., Pickles, A., &, Rutter, M., (2000). The autism diagnostic observation schedule generic: A standard measure of social and communication deficits associated with the spectrum of autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 30, 205-223.
57. Lord, C., Rutter, M., DiLavore, P., &, Risi, S., (2001). Autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS) manual. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.
58. Luyster, R., Gotham, K., Guthrie, W., Coffing, M., Petrak, R., Pierce, K.,. &, Lord, C., (2009). The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Toddler Module: A new module of a standardized diagnostic measure for autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39, 1305-1320.
59. Mackie, L., &, Law, J., (2010). Pragmatic language and the child with emotional/behavioural difficulties (EBD): A pilot study exploring the interaction between behaviour and communication disability. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 45, 397-410.
60. Martin, I., &, McDonald, S., (2004). An exploration of causes of non-literal language problems in individuals with Asperger Syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 34, 311-328.
61. Marton, K., Abramoff, B., &, Rosenzweig, S., (2005). Social cognition and language in children with specific language impairment. Journal of Communication Disorders, 38, 143-162.
62. McPartland, J.C., Reichow, B., &, Volkmar, F.R., (2012). Sensitivity and Specificity of the proposed DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder. Journal of the American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 51, 368-383.
63. Mundy, P., Delgado, C., Block, J., Venezia, M., Hogan, A., &, Seibert, J., (2003). The early social communication scales. University of Miami. Available from: http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/ourteam/faculty- staff/escs.pdf [last accessed 31 January 2013].
64. Nadig, A., Vivanti, G., &, Ozonoff, S., (2009). Object descriptions under different communicative demands: How do children with and without autism adapt? Autism Research, 2, 1-14.
65. Norbury, C.F., (2005). The relationship between theory of mind and metaphor: Evidence from children with language impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 23, 383-399.
66. Norbury, C.F., &, Bishop, D.V.M., (2003). Narrative skills of children with communication impairments. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 38, 287-313.
67. Norbury, C.F., Brock, J., Cragg, L., Einav, S., Griffiths, H., &, Nation, K., (2009). Eye-movement patterns are associated with communicative competence in autistic spectrum disorders. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 50, 834-842.
68. Norbury, C.F., Gemmell, T., &, Paul, R., (2013). Pragmatic abilities in narrative production: A cross-disorder comparison. Journal of Child Language. In press.
69. Norbury, C.F., Nash, M., Baird, G., &, Bishop, D., (2004). Using a parental checklist to identify diagnostic groups in children with communication impairment: A validation of the Children's Communication Checklist-2. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 39, 345-364.
70. Norbury, C.F., &, Sparks, A., (2013). Difference or disorder? Cultural issues in understanding neurodevelopmental disorders. Developmental Psychology, 49, 45-58.
71. Oliver, B.R., Barker, E.D., Mandy, W.L., Skuse, D.H., &, Maughan, B., (2011). Social cognition and conduct problems: A developmental approach. Journal of the American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 50, 385-394.
72. Phelps-Terasaki, D., &, Phelps-Gunn, T., (2007). Test of pragmatic language (2nd edn). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
73. Philofsky, A., Fidler, D., &, Hepburn, S., (2007). Pragmatic language profiles of school-age children with autism spectrum disorders and Williams syndrome. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 16, 368-380.
74. Pijnacker, J., Hagoort, P., Buitelaar, J., Teunisse, J.P., &, Geurts, B., (2009). Pragmatic inferences in high-functioning adults with autism and Asperger syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39, 607-618.
75. Rapin, I., (1996). Historical data. In, I. Rapin, (Ed.) Preschool Children with Inadequate Communication: Developmental Language Disorder, Autism, Low IQ. Clinics in Developmental Medicine No. 139 (pp. 57-97). London: Mac Keith Press.
76. Rapin, I., &, Allen, D., (1983). Developmental language disorders: Nosological considerations. In, U. Kirk, (Ed.), Neuropsychology of language, reading and spelling. New York: Academic Press.
77. Reisinger, L.M., Cornish, K., &, Fombonne, E., (2011). Diagnostic differentiation of autism spectrum disorders and pragmatic language impairment. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41, 1694-1704.
78. Renfrew, C., (1995). Bus story test. Milton Keynes: Speechmark Publishing.
79. Robins, E., &, Guze, S.B., (1970). Establishment of diagnostic validity in psychiatric illness: Its application to schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry, 126, 983-987.
80. Rutter, M., Bailey, A., &, Lord, C., (2003). The social communication questionnaire. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.
81. Schoen, E., Paul, R., (2009). Assessing Pragmatic Language Skills in High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders. Denver, CO: Society for Research in Child Development.
82. Semel, E.M., Wiig, E.H., &, Secord, W.A., (2003). Clinical evaluation of language fundamentals-4UK. London: Psychological Corporation.
83. Skuse, D., (2012). DSM-5's conceptualization of autistic disorders. Journal of the American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 51, 344-346.
84. Strong, C., (1998). Strong narrative assessment procedure. Eau Claire, WI: Thinking Publications.
85. Tager-Flusberg, H., &, Anderson, M., (1991). The development of contingent discourse ability in autistic children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 32, 1123-1134.
86. Tager-Flusberg, H., Paul, R., &, Lord, C., (2005). Language and communication in autism. In, D.J. Cohen, &, F.R. Volkmar, (Eds.), Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders (3rd edn, pp. 335-364). New York: John Wiley and Sons.
87. Volden, J., Coolican, J., Garon, N., White, J., &, Bryson, S., (2009). Pragmatic language in autism spectrum disorder: Relationships to measures of ability and disability. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39, 388-393.
88. Wetherby, A., &, Prizant, B., (1993). Communication and symbolic behavior scales. Chicago, IL: Applied Symbolix Inc.
89. Whitehouse, A.J., Watt, H.J., Line, E.A., &, Bishop, D.V.M., (2009). Adult psychosocial outcomes of children with specific language impairment, pragmatic language impairment and autism. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 44, 511-528.
90. Wiig, E.H., &, Secord, W., (1989). Test of language competence-Expanded. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.
91. Wing, L., Gould, J., &, Gillberg, C., (2011). Autism spectrum disorders in the DSM-5: Better or worse than the DSM-IV? Research in Developmental Disabilities, 32, 768-773.
92. World Health Organisation. (2013). International Classification of Diseases-11. Proposed criteria for Pragmatic Language Impairment. Available from: http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/revision/en/index.html [last accessed 31 January 2013].
93. Young, E.C., Diehl, J.J., Morris, D., Hyman, S.L., &, Bennetto, L., (2005). The use of two language tests to identify pragmatic language problems in children with autism spectrum disorders. Language, Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, 36, 62-72.