Pragmatics - the Nevada Speech

...And Then There’s
Pragmatics
Tomorrow We’ll Talk About Artic.
Formal Definition
All the ways in which the grammar serves
the needs of speakers as social human
beings
Timothy P. Kowalski, M.A.,C.C.C.
Professional Communication Services, Inc.
1401-A Edgewater Dr.
Orlando, FL 32804
Foster, 1990
Language development in the context
and environment in which it is generated
Nikolski, Harryman, & Kresheck, 1989
www.socialpragmatics.com
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The study of how expressions of
meaning by humans gain significance in
context and use
Informal Definition
Smith & Leinonen, 1992
Rules governing the use of language in
context
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It’s easier to identify a social pragmatic
disorder than to define it
Bates, 1976
The study of meaning in relation to
speech situations
The social component of language
Leech, 1982
15 definitions when searching on Google
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Richard Lavoie has a wonderful
explanation for these difficult to define
terms
Lavoie, R (2005). It’s So Much Work to Be Your Friend. New York: Touchstone.
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Listing pragmatic
“Zero Order Skills”
deficiencies is difficult but
everyone can identify
“Zero Order Skills”
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“A nosey girl in my class butts into everyone’s
conversation with her nonsensical questions and
doesn’t listen to anyone but herself! Shut up and
mind your own business!”
– Ticked Off! The Orlando Sentinel, April 19, 2003
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Individuals with dysfunctional socialpragmatics have a social stigma
Why is it important to have
good social-pragmatic
communication?
It has an early onset
earlier than semantics and syntax
Assists in generalization of traditional
language therapy goals
Builds confidence
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studies have shown that people form a
lasting impression of someone within
moments of their first meeting
these studies also show that it takes
several subsequent POSITIVE
interactions to offset the initial
NEGATIVE experience
What’s important?
Adolescent Viewpoint
Teacher Viewpoint
nonverbal comprehension
turn taking
perspective taking
perspective taking
vocal tone interpretation
logical communication
clarification
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What’s unimportant?
Adolescent Viewpoint
Teacher Viewpoint
eye contact
humor comprehension
narrative
slang usage
humor comprehension
nonverbal comprehension
topic maintenance
topic maintenance
How often do we communicate?
Yorkston, K., Eadie, T., Baylor, C., Deitz, J., Dudgeon, B., Miller, R., Amtmann, D. (2006)
Developing a Scale of Communicative Participation. ASHA 2006 Annual Convention. Miami Beach.
80% of waking hours are spent
communicating
High
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
slang usage
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Low
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Outcome in AS was good in 27% of
cases. However, 26% had a very
restricted life, with no occupation/
activity and no friends. Why?
Poor awareness of social thinking
Individuals who recognized the
need for improved social thinking
had higher salaries than those who
didn’t recognize the need
Howlin, P., Alcock, J., Burkin, C. (2005). An 8 year follow-up of a specialist supported employment service for high-ability adults with autism
or Asperger syndrome. Autism 9: 533-549.
Cederlund, M., Hagberg, B., Billstedt, E., Gillberg, I. C., and Gillberg, C. (2007). Asperger Syndrome and Autism: A Comparative
Longitudinal Follow-Up Study More than 5 Years after Original Diagnosis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
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Those lacking social cognition had
less positive employment
experiences and showed more
Pragmatic Theories
preference for solitary activities
Jennes-Coussens, M., Magill-Evans, J., Koning, C. (2006). The quality of life of young men with Asperger syndrome: a brief report. Autism.
10: 403-414.
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2 Major Theories
Social Learning
Key players: Vygotsky & Halliday
Concept: language is viewed as being
acquired through the observation of
Social Learning
Interactional Approach
modeled events and outcomes
Requires the ability to deduce from
observation and apply for future social
functioning
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Interactional Approach
Key Players: Ainsworth, Blurton-Jones,
Brazelton, Bruner, Kaye, & Shaffer
Concept: Children learn language
through reciprocal interaction with others
Developmental Stages
of Pragmatics
Based on analysis that babies have the
ability to discriminate when to initiate and
resond in turn-taking fashion
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Pre-school
begins to imitate others’ vocalizations
and gestures
Birth - 1 year:
adults provide interactional structure
cries become differentiated
synchronous adult-child interaction
shows objects to others
Bruner, J. (1982). The formats of language acquisition. American Journal of Semiotics. 1: 155-178.
Trevarthen, C. (1979). Communication and cooperation in early infancy: A description of primary intersubjectivity. In M. Bullowa
(Ed.). Before Speech: The Beginning of Interpersonal Communication. Cambridge: cambridge University Press.
adults recognize & reinforce protoword usage
Snow, C. (1977). The development of conversation between mothers and babies. Journal
of Child Language. 4: 1-22; Bateson, M. (1975). Mother infant exchanges: The epigenesis of conversational interaction. In D.
Aaronson, & R. Reiber (Eds.). Developmental Psycholinguistics and Communication Disorders. New York: New York Academy of
Sciences.
points for object recognition and show
establishes connection prior to vocalizing
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1-2 years:
range of communicative acts expands
use of combinations of: words,
objects and gestures
greater awareness of conversation in
context
2-3 years:
elaboration of language forms and use
of nonverbal language
development of Theory of Mind begins
turn-taking develops
verbal turn-taking
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greater degree of conversational
relevance
beginnings of conversational repairs
beginnings of metalinguistics
3-4 years:
capable of making statements about
turn-taking
requests use strategies and multi-steps
(“You know the ice cream? If I’m good,
can I have some?”)
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4-5 years:
narrative and story telling well
developed
Kemper, S. (1984). The development of narrative skills: Explanations and entertainments. In
S. Kuczaj (Ed.). Discourse Development: Progress in Cognitive Development Research. New York: Springer-Verlag.
repair strategies easily used
Sacks, H., Schegloff, E. and
Jefferson, G. (1974). A simplest systemics for the organization of turn-taking in conversation. Language. 50: 696-735.
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repairs continue to be developed but
clarifications frequently blame
listener
justification of demands emerges
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greater clarification of word referents
greater recognition of the listener’s
needs
gains noted in politeness,
persuasion, hints, rights (e.g.
claiming and giving), justifying, &
explaining
Tough, J. (1977). The Development of Meaning: A Study of Children’s Use of Language.
Early Elementary:
6-7 years:
use of meta-pragmatics (describing the
rules of communication)
repairs continue to evolve
7-8 years:
clarification correctly identifies problem
higher level narratives
London: Allen & Unwin.
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Late Elementary:
9 years:
clear understanding of threats and
cause-effect
greater recognition of Theory of Mind
multiple levels of politeness are
understood and can be explicitly
referred to
McTear, M. and Conti-Ramsden, G. (1992). Assessment of pragmatics. In K. Grundy,
(Ed.). Linguistics in Clinical Practice. London: Whurr.
decrease in nonspecific terms (thingy)
increased tact
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Adults:
complexity continues to development
able to use communication in difficult
situations - e.g. complaints, firing
When Things Go Wrong
employee, initiating conversation with
stranger, etc.
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And then Mr.
Spock used his
mind meld...
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Characteristics of
Dysfunctional Pragmatics
Anderson-Wood, L. and Smith, B. (2000). Working with Pragmatics. Bicester, Oxon UK: Winslow Press, Ltd.
Expressing communicative intents
Conversational management
Problems of presupposition
Pragmatic comprehension and
knowledge base
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Expressing Communicative Intent
does not attract attention to self
poor non-verbal communication
eye signals
does not point
orientation to partner
limited initiation of conversation
body language
ambiguous conversation
echolalia
facial expression
gesture
perseveration
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prosodic dysfunction
too loud/soft
monoloudness
inappropriate stress
inappropriate rhythm
unusual intonation
inappropriate rate
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unusual vocal quality
semantic searching
minor hesitation
false starts
neologisms
circumlocution
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Conversational Management
poor interaction skills
poor attention and listening
ADD or IDGAS?
poor turn taking (verbal & nonverbal)
minimal turn taking
reduced speech acts
restricted range
overuse of a single style
(e.g. questions)
inappropriate use
avoiding conversation
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dysfunctional organization and relevance
minimal interest in topic
illogical sequence
incoherence
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dysfunctional topic management
poor introduction of topics
poor topic maintenance
reduced cohesion
inappropriate relevance
excessive attention to extraneous
detail
restricted interest
central coherence
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poor termination of conversation
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dysfunctional topic repair
dysfunctional interactive style
failure to request clarification
rudeness
failure to indicate non-
inappropriate style for setting
comprehension
pedantic
failure to supply clarification
overuse of cliches & utterances
failure to initiate repairs
hesitancy/too rapid in responding
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Presupposition
(assumption of what others are thinking)
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reliance upon nonspecifics (e.g. “it, thing”)
ignoring listener’s perspective
overly formal language
no tact
inability to use narratives
lack of empathy
providing too much/little information
intermingling of new information with old
using more generals than specifics
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inability to use modal verbs (e.g. “can,
shall, will, dare, must, may”)
tendency to ramble
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reduced use of metaphors, irony,
humor, idioms
Comprehension and Knowledge Base
reduced ability to decipher the world
around him
use of jargon
word substitution (e.g. “pork” for “fork”
or “hand” for “foot”)
tendency to be repetitive
central coherence
poor inferencing
hyper-literality
confusion of referents during
conversation
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inability to monitor own comprehension
inability to comprehend the intention of
others
inability to comprehend facial expressions
reduced comprehension of narratives
reduced ability to comprehend irony,
humor, metaphors, and idioms
poor sense of time and temporal language
inability to use spatial language
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Neurobiological
Factors Predisposing
Social-Pragmatic
Dysfunction
Anderson-Wood, L. and Smith, B. (2000). Working with Pragmatics. Bicester, Oxon UK: Winslow Press, Ltd.
neurological disorders
psychiatric disorders
slow cognitive or linguistic processing
deficient linguistics
immaturity
personality factors
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Social-Emotional Factors
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Factors in the Self
environmental factors
social isolation
reduced sense of self
lack of confidence
reduced integrative ability
poor self esteem
reduced inner coherence
defensiveness
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Imaginative Factors
Cognitive Style
rigid thought processing
poor imagination
poor Theory of Mind
poor empathy
disorganization
reduced attention span
distractibility
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Memory Factors
deficient word finding skills
deficient short-term memory
deficient conversational tracking
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Knowledge Factors
limited knowledge of the world
limited social knowledge
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Always keep in mind:
Social-Pragmatic
Communication
Assessment
consistency of deficiency
potential causation
does the student possess the requisite
knowledge and skills?
will the student be able to learn and use
the skills needed?
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Diagnostic Complications
deficiency may originate in the behavior
of either partner or in their relationship
the environment impacts the
communicative behavior of the
participants
group dynamics predispose difficulties
in etiological origins
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Is a “pure-form” of pragmatic deficit
possible?
often a result of eroded communicative
confidence due to impaired speechlanguage functions
often associated with environmental or
emotional problems
Law, J. and Conway, J. (1992) Treatment of abused and neglected
children: The role of speech and language therapists. Bulletin of the College of Speech and Language Therapists. 487: 8-9; Smith, B. and
Leinonen, E. (1992) Clinical Pragmatics: Unravelling the Complexities of Communicative Failure. London: Chapman & Hall.
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comorbid with Asperger syndrome or
Autism
Aarons, M. and Gittens, T. (1992) What is the true essence of autism? Speech Therapy in Practice. 5:8; Frith, U. (1989) Autism:
Explaining the Enigma. Oxford: Blackwell; Baron-Cohen, S. and Bolton, P. (1993) Autism: The Facts. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
comorbid with psychosis
Baltax, C. (1990) Pragmatic deficits and psychiatric disorders in
children and adolescents. International Pragmatics Conference University of Barcelona; Baltax, C. and Simmons, J. Pragmatic deficits in emotionally
disturbed children and adolescents. (1988). In R. Schiefelbusch and L. Lloyd (Eds.) Language Perspectives: Acquisition, Retardation and Intervention.
Austin TX: Pro-Ed.
comorbid with semantic deficits
Bishop, D. (1989) Autism,
Asperger’s syndrome and semantic-pragmatic disorder: Where are the boundaries? British Journal of Disorders of
Communication. 24: 107-121; Rapin, I. and Allen, D. (1983) Development Language disorders: Nosologic considerations. In U. Kirk
(Ed.) Neuropsychology of Language, Reading and Spelling. New York: Academic Press;Rapin, I. and Allen, D. (1987)
Developmental dysphasia and autism in pre-school children: Characteristics and sub-types. Proceedings of the First International
Symposium on Specific Speech and Language Disorders in Children. London: University of Reading.
Severity Rating
comorbid with right hemispheric
dysfunction
Bryon, K. (1988) Assessment of language disorders after right hemisphere damage. British
Journal of Disorders of Communication. 23: 111-125; Shields, J. (1991) Semantic-pragmatic disorder: A right hemisphere syndrome?
British Journal of Disorders of Communication. 26: 383-392.
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Severity Rating
definition: a clinical judgement that
classifies an individual’s difficulties into a
descriptive category
will always have a subjective element
example: mild, moderate, severe
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Advantages of Rating
prioritizing treatment
predicting outcomes
sharing information:
with client
with his family
with other professionals
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Consider the Following:
specific type of difficulties
frequency of occurrence
range of difficulties
student’s self-awareness of deficit
spontaneous use of compensatory strategies
Inherent Difficulties in the
Assessment of SocialPragmatic Communication
when successful communication strategies
are used
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Inherent Problems:
lack of normative data
subjectivity of observation
definition of “What is acceptable
behavior?”
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student’s lack of ability versus failure to
demonstrate ability
context and it’s effect on performance
it has immense implications on
partner’s impact on student
assessment
setting
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Complexity of Context
current state of relationship (e.g. the
mom who helped her daughter using
cultural mores
environmental situation
demands of a specific activity
role and code-shifting
relationships and impact of prior events
Craig’s list)
knowledge of the partner
strangers are harder to engage than
friends
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Assessment Methods
topic knowledge
Questionnaire data
linguistic context
deleting mutually known information
inferential context
one must understand the partner’s
intent
Interview data
Observational data
pen and paper recording
audio recording
video recording
video-relay
observation window
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Communication Assessment
Social-Pragmatic
Communication
Assessment
nonverbal communication
non-literal language
speech prosody
social-pragmatic communication
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Recommended nonverbal communication
procedures:
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Recommended speech prosody
procedures:
eye gaze
gestures
Recommended non-literal procedures:
metaphor
melody
volume (loudness)
irony
stress
absurdity
pitch
humor
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Recommended social-pragmatic
communication procedures:
turn-taking
cues & prompts
social-conversational rules
Tools Appropriate for
Pre-School Ages
conversational coherence
reciprocity
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Halliday’s Functions of Language
Miller, J. (1981). Assessing Language Production in Children. Baltimore, MD: University Park Press.
uses 7 categories to assess pragmatics
communication may function as:
interpersonal: intention to interact with others
textual: utterance is based on previous
utterance
ideational/experiential: an attempt to express
meaning
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Pre-verbal Communication Schedule
Kiernan, C. and Reid, B. (1987). Pre-Verbal Communication Schedule. London: NFER-Nelson
The Schedule is aimed mainly at
assessing existing non-verbal and vocal
communication skills and other abilities
which may be relevant in program
development
Acronym: PVCS
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The Pragmatics Profile of Early
Communication Skills
Dewart, H. and Summers, S. (1995). The Pragmatics Profile of Communication Skills in Childhood. Windsor: NFER-Nelson.
Communicative Intention Inventory
Coggins, T. and Carpenter, R. (1981). The communicative intention inventory: A system for observing and coding children’s early intentional communication.
Applied Psycholinguistics. 2: 235-252.
provides a structured set of questions
to be asked of parents, caregivers, etc.
targets:
communicative intentions
response to communication
interaction and conversation
provides a method of analyzing
conversational data
composed of 8 intentional categories
appropriate for any age group
contextual variation
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EcoScales
MacDonald, J. and Gillette, Y. (1986). Ecological Communication System. San Antonio: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.
provides a model for evaluating the interactive and
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Pragmatics Observation List
Johnston, E., Weinrich, B., Johnson, A. (1984). A Sourcebook of Pragmatic Activities: Theory and Intervention for Language Therapy.
Tucson: Communication Skill Builders.
communication skills of preconversational children and
their caregivers
designed for both program planning and progress
monitoring as well as for determining the child's
performance.
5 levels of interactive development and delays are
considered
explores the level of adequacy
demonstrated by children’s pragmatic
functioning
identifies disorders, not in terms of linguistic performance
alone, but in terms of interaction skills and their role in
fostering communication
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Bristol Language Development Scales
Gutfreund, M. (1989). Briston Language Development Scales. Windsor: NFER-Nelson.
Social Interactive Coding System
Rice, M., Sell, M. and Hadley, P. (1990). The social interactive coding system (SICS):
An on-line, clinically relevant descriptive tool. Language, Speech and Hearing Services in Schools. 21: 2-14.
provides a comprehensive approach to
procedure for structuring observation
by children
children in a naturalistic setting
the assessment of language production
aids in the planning of appropriate
therapy
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of the communicative interactions of
coding is based on: initiations,
responses, repetitions, and ignoring.
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Other strategies:
Guidelines for the assessment of
communication intent
Wetherby, A. and Prizant, B. (1989). The expresion of
communicative intent: Assessment Guidelines. Seminars in Speech and Language. 10: 77-91.
Transactional approach to early
language
Tools Appropriate for
Grades K-12 and Adults
McLean, J. and Snyder-McLean, L. (1988). Application of pragmatics to severely mentally retarded children
and youth. In R. Schiefelbusch and L. Lloyd (Eds.). Language Perspectives: Acquisition Retardation and Intervention. Texas: Pro-Ed.
Systematic method for observing
pragmatic behaviors
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McTear, M. (1985). Children’s Conversation. Oxford: Blackwells.
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Conversational Effectiveness ProfileRevised
Stickler, K. R. (1987). Guide to Analysis of Language Transcripts. Eau Claire, WI: Thinking Publications.
Kowalski, T. (2010) Social-Pragmatic Success. Orlando: Professional Communication Services, Inc.
used to assess the function
observational rating scale
comprised of 6 domains:
CEP-R
Conversational Effectiveness Profile - Revised
social interaction
Summary/Response Form
social communication
academic
School
Examiner
Setting
Year
behind an utterance
comprised of 3 parts based on the
Name
Address
Month
message’s
Day
Date
Birth Date
Age
Interpretation of Findings
communication
Dore’s Conversational Acts
Percent
Appropriate
Percent
Somewhat
Inappropriate
Percent
Extremely
Inappropriate
meaning
Social Interaction
A. With whom does he/she interact?
B. How does he/she interact?
C. How does he/she participate with others?
Social Communication
A. How does he/she comprehend others?
B. How does he/she respond to others?
C. How does he/she communicate with others?
Social-Emotional Regulation
A. How does he/she recognize emotional state in him/herself?
B. How does he/she recognize emotional states in others?
nonverbal
communication
Copyright © 2009
Professional Communication Services, Inc.
perspective taking
syntax
speaker’s intent
Additional copies of this form may be purchased from:
Professional Communication Services, Inc.
1401-A Edgewater Dr., Orlando FL 32804
407-245-1026, Fax 407-245-1235, www.socialpragmatics.com
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Dore’s Conversational Acts:
Dore’s Conversational Acts:
Requests
Statements that request information,
action, or acknowledgment from
another individual
yes-no questions
Wh-questions
clarification
requests for action or permission
rhetorical questions
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Descriptions
statements that provide factual
information about the past and present
identifications
properties
events
locations
times
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Dore’s Conversational Acts:
Statements
comments that are used for:
rules
Dore’s Conversational Acts:
Acknowledgments
comments that recognize and evaluate
responses such as:
evaluations
acceptances
attributions
approval/agreements
explanations
disapproval/disagreements
facts
conversational returns
definitions
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Dore’s Conversational Acts:
Dore’s Conversational Acts:
Organization Devices
comments that regulate contact and
conversation such as:
Performatives
comments that serve to accomplish their
task:
boundary markers
protests
speaker selections
claims
accompaniments
teasing
calls
jokes
politeness markers
warning
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Dore’s Conversational Acts:
Tough’s Functions of Language
Miscellaneous
Tough, J. (1977). The Development of Meaning: A Study of Children’s use of Language Skills. London, UK: Allen and Unwin.
defines the role language has in problem
solving and thinking
unclassifiable utterances such as:
identifies 4 major functions of language:
no responses
directive
unintelligible responses
interpretive
exclamations
projective
relational
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Fey’s Pragmatic Patterns
Fey’s Pragmatic Patterns:
Fey, M.E. (1986). Language Intervention with Young Children. San Diego, CA: College-Hill Press.
Active Conversationalists
assertive and responsive
interested in their conversational
Is the child assertive in conversation?
partner
Yes
No
Is the child responsive in communication?
Is the child responsive in communication?
Yes
No
Yes
No
Active Conversationalist
Verbal Noncommunicator
Passive Conversationalist
Inactive Communicator
lend information to the conversation
may need assistance in expansion
techniques
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108
Fey’s Pragmatic Patterns:
Passive Conversationalists
responsive to conversation but doesn’t
add to it
fails to provide new and/or relevant
information
need help in developing assertive acts
Fey’s Pragmatic Patterns:
Inactive Communicator
neither responsive or assertive
typically socially isolated
fail to participate in conversation
need help in developing interactions
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Fey’s Pragmatic Patterns:
Prutting Pragmatic Protocol
Verbal Non-Communicator
assertive but unresponsive to partner
can initiate conversation
dominates conversation without regard
to partner’s needs/desires
need help in understanding how their
comment relates to current topic
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Prutting, C. and Kirchner, D. (1987). A clinical appraisal of the pragmatic aspects of language. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 52, 105-119.
used with children
5 years of age and
older
defines how
language signifies
conversational
intent in social
settings
112
Communicative Partner Profile
Anderson-Wood, L. and Smith, B. (2000). Working with Pragmatics. Oxon, UK: WinslowPress, Ltd.
Muir’s Informal Assessment for
Social -Communication
Muir, N., Tanner, P. and France, J. (1992). “Management and Treatment Techniques: A Practical Approach”, edited by R. Gravell, and J. France, Speech
and Communication Problems in Psychiatry. San Diego, CA: Singular Publishing Group, Inc.
checklist based on the
provides a quick overview of the social
following skills:
facilitating relationships
facilitating conversational
interaction
facilitating communication
development
non-facilitating strategies
training for
domain of language
uses a rating scale: 1 (severe) to 5
(normal)
geared more for psychiatric group
treatment
communicative partners
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Adolescent Pragmatics
Screening Scale
Brice, A. (1992). The adolescent pragmatics screening scale: Rationale and Development: Howard Journal of Communications. 3: 177-193.
114
Halliday’s Functions of Language
Miller, J. (1981). Assessing Language Production in Children. Baltimore, MD: University Park Press.
uses 7 categories to assess pragmatics
communication may function as:
can be used to identify pragmatic
interpersonal: intention to interact
provides a measure on 6 topical
textual: utterance is based on
language deficits
subtests and a composite total score
with others
previous utterance
ideational/experiential: an attempt to
express meaning
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Pragmatic Rating Scale
Anderson-Wood, L. and Smith, B. (2000). Working with Pragmatics. Oxon, UK: WinslowPress, Ltd.
designed to compare
communication
performance against
others
Interaction Record
Anderson-Wood, L. and Smith, B. (2000). Working with Pragmatics. Oxon, UK: WinslowPress, Ltd.
provides for a
transcription of
communication
interaction
provides for a visual
non-standardized
rating scale
demonstration of
strengths and
weaknesses
117
Directing Discourse
Blank M, Marquis MA, Klimovitch M : Directing Early Discourse, Communication Skill Builders, Tucson, AZ, 1995
118
Evaluating Communicative
Competence: A Functional Pragmatic
Procedure
Simon, C. (1986). Evaluating Communicative Competence: A Functional Pragmatic Procedure. Tucson: Communication Skill Builders
a procedure utilizing a probing checklist
to analyze and enhance conversational
effectiveness
assesses the quality of language
processing skills, memory, application of
metalinguistic knowledge, and the use of
knowledge through 21 tasks
ages 9-17 years
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The Behavioral Inventory of Speech
Act Performances (BISAP)
Lukas, E. (1980). Semantic and Pragmatic Disorders: Assessment and Remediation. Rockville: Aspen.
useful to analyze elicited speech acts
highly dependent upon “felicity
conditions” (special circumstances in
which a speech act will succeed or fail
(e.g. asking to go outside and play
Edinburgh Functional Communication
Profile
Skinner, C. Wirz, S., Thompson, I. and Davidson, J. (1984). Edinburgh Functional Communication Profile. Bicester: Winslow Press
focuses on:
the intention of speakers
nonverbal behaviors in a variety of
contexts
during a hurricane)
121
Communicative Effectiveness Index
Lomas, J., Pickard, L., Bester, S., Elbard, H., Finlayson, A., andZoghaib, C. (1989). The communicative effectiveness index: Communication measure for
adult aphasia. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders. 54: 113-124.
designed to measure the amount of
change during treatment and can assist
in monitoring the success of intervention
122
Other strategies:
Method for exploring interactions using
INREAL
Heublein, E. and Bate, C. (1988). Procedures for a descriptive analysis of intention. Seminars in Speech and
Language. 9:37-44.
Method for categorizing pragmatic
behaviors
Roth, F. and Spekman, N. (1984). Assessing the pragmatic abilities of children. Part 2: Guidelines,
considerations and specific evaluation procedures. Jouranl of speech and Hearing Disorders. 49: 12-17.
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124
Methods to assess pragmatics with
special emphasis on topic skills and
clarification of request skills
Brinton, B. and Fujiki, M. (1989).
Conversational Management with Language-Impaired Chldren: Pragmatic Assessment and Intervention. Rockville: Aspen
125
Many students with social-
pragmatic communication deficits
have deficient social thinking.
126
Appropriate social skills are dependent
upon:
motivation to “fit in”
accurately perceive situations
decode information from others
perform the necessary social skills
Theory of Mind
(ToM)
recognize social feedback
act upon the social feedback
127
128
Society’s
You
Recognizing
our place in society
expectations
Meet the Fockers
129
130
Theory of Mind
Level 1 ToM
Uta Frith
“I know that not everyone thinks the
definition
same way that I do.”
The Sally-Anne Test
Baron-Cohen, S., Leslie, A.M., and Frith, U. (1985). “Does
the autistic child have a Theory of Mind?” Cognition. 21: 81-90.
“The Borg” and networked wiring
perspective taking
leads to topic domination
131
132
Level 1 manifestations:
ignoring listener’s perspective
inappropriate provision of information
confusing “old” and “new” information
overuse of non-specific information (e.g. “it”
“everyone thinks like me”
inability to engage another outside are of
interest
inability to recognize locations/situations
have multiple expectations
or “thing”)
133
Level 2 ToM
“I know that what I do (or don’t do),
impacts your decision to want to be my
friend (or not be my friend).
134
Level 2 manifestations:
poor hygiene
“I don’t care if you don’t want this, I’m
going to complete it”
hyper-emphasis on penmanship
negatively impacts content
135
136
Deficits Related to ToM
Myles, B. and Southwick, J. (1999). Asperger Syndrome and Difficult Moments. Shawnee Mission, KA: Autism Asperger Publishing Co.
overwhelming ideation (“I can’t go to
school - my shirt’s dirty!”)
lack of joint attention
inability to recognize facial expressions
difficulty explaining own behaviors
difficulty understanding emotions
difficulty predicting the behavior and
emotional states of others
problems understanding the
perspectives of others
137
problems inferring the intentions of
others
lack of understanding that behavior
impacts how others think and/or feel
problems with joint attention and other
social conventions
139
138
Requirements for ToM
for children to be able to recognize and
act upon assumptions acquired from
observations, it is critical that they
understand the nature and causes of
emotions
Silliman, E., Diehl, S., Bahr, R., Hnath-Chisolm, T., Zenko, V., and Friedman, S. (2003). “A new look at performance on
Theory of Mind Tasks by adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.” Journal of Speech and Hearing Services in the
Schools. 34: 3,236-252.
140
Executive Functions
Executive Functions
(Educators call it “Organizational Skills”)
Definition: how you process, plan, and
carryout a procedure to complete a
task
Example: Time Management
Requires 4 significant skill areas
141
142
1. Flexibility of Thought
2. Identification of Relevance
Definition: the ability to determine the
best option for a task
manifested in:
thought shifting
changing an idea
hyper-focus on a specific area (OCD)
143
Definition: determining what is important
and not important to the task at hand
manifested in:
oriented to detail
inability to see the global picture
144
3. Experiential Learning
Definition: the ability to learn from and
draw upon past experiences
4. Goal Focus
Definition: the ability to remain focused
and on-task, despite presence of
competing information
manifested in
inability to identify what works and what
manifested in:
doesn’t
getting stuck in details
inability to apply a skill to a new situation
getting distracted
145
146
Summary of Deficits Associated
with Executive Functions
Flexibility of Thought
No
Identify Relevance
No
Experiential Learning
No
Goal Focus
No
147
Central Coherence
148
Central Coherence
Summary of Deficits Associated with
Central Cohesion
Definition: the ability to integrate details
into a larger picture
How does AS impact central coherence?
details rule
often have the information but can’t
integrate it into the big picture
seen as inconsiderate & thoughtless to
Input Style
Single
Detail Driven
Yes
Sees “Big Picture”
No
Memory Style
Factual Data
Integration Style
Random Input
NTs
149
150
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence
The Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations
www.eiconsortium.org
Definition: the ability to perceive, identify,
and manage emotion on both a personal and
social level
How does AS impact emotional intelligence?
ability to adapt to new situations
coping skills
job placement
151
152
Personal Competence
Level
Sublevel
Manifestations
1. can’t recognize and
1. emotional awareness:
1. self awareness
recognizing one’s
emotions and their
effects
explain their emotions
2. can’t associate
feelings with their
behavior
Theoretical Approaches
to Intervention
3. can’t realize their
feelings impact
performance
153
Linguistic Approach
suggests that language is acquired in
154
Behaviorist Approach
the same way as other genetically pre-
traditional behaviorists postulate that
coordination)
behaviors that can be shaped and
programmed abilities (e.g. motor
language is merely one of many
importance of clinician is limited
reinforced by caregivers
because child is “pre-programmed” to
has strengths and weaknesses
acquire language
155
156
Interactionist Approach
Social Learning Approach
stress the complexity of communication
communication develops by interacting
with the environment
the therapist is a facilitator of language
rather than a teacher
and the importance of considering the
social aspects of communication as well
as the linguistic and cognitive aspects
highly dependent upon the child
learning from someone with who he has
a motivating social relationship
157
Communication Centered
Approach
pragmatics based designed to put the
focus on the child as the controller of
the interaction thereby increasing
interaction
158
Social and Emotional
Issues
Social-Interactive Domain
Social-Communicative Domain
Social-Emotional Domain
allows for experimentation for further
success
159
160
Social-Interactive Issues
Social-Interactive Domain
frequently lack tact
poor proxemics
poor social rules
egocentric
jokes difficult to comprehend
161
162
Intervention Strategies for
Social-Interaction Deficits
teach that their actions have an impact
on others
use social autopsies
teach perspective taking
use Disability Awareness Programs
use buddy systems
use structured play groups
teach how to share
teach how to negotiate
use social stories
163
164
use comic strip conversations
I'll help
you with
this hard
stuff,
Susan.
I don't want
to do this
stuff.
use topic boxes to:
generate opinions about a topic
determine student’s current
knowledge about a topic
generalize new information to outside
settings
165
166
teach how to work in small groups
gain respect through academic strengths
use visual supports such as:
protect from teasing
calendars
use drama to teach social interaction
schedules
use routines
checklists
teach how to transition
167
168
Problem
teach how to solve an argument
develop social skills through imitation
Is it
Fixed?
teach how to accept another’s viewpoint
use contingency statements
Yes
No
169
170
Teach flexibility of thought
Teach flexibility of thought
use Stroop-like tasks
BIG big little LITTLE BIG big
little LITTLE little BIG big LITTLE
BIG LITTLE little big BIG big
LITTLE little big BIG big little
LITTLE little big little BIG BIG
little big BIG big little LITTLE
use figure-ground
reversal illusions
171
172
Teach flexibility of thought
Teach flexibility of thought
use set shifting games
use Stroop-like tasks
red green yellow blue red white green red
yellow green white blue red white yellow
green red blue white red yellow red green
red blue yellow white yellow red blue blue
yellow green red white red green blue red
173
174
set shifting games
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
175
Social-Communicative
Domain
176
Social-Communicative
Issues
difficulty with conversational rules
unique prosody
perseverative questioning
pedantic speech frequently common:
poor abstract reasoning
poor nonverbal communication skills
60-90% of message typically
nonverbal
“The Little Professor”
177
178
Treatment for
Intervention Strategies
for
Social-Communicative
Deficits
179
Social-Communication Deficits
teach mutual focus
use barrier games
teach active listening
180
encourage eye-contact, stress the
need and use of it for
socialization:
teach conversational skills
how to initiate conversation
how it is used for conversational emphasis
reciprocal attention getting
conveying shared interests
nonverbal means of indicating confusion
how to use turn taking
how to expand the conversation
teach conversational repair skills
and disapproval
181
182
limit time spent on personal fixation
no one can ask 2 consecutive
teach topic concepts
questions
family = personal
everyone asks a question
peers = movies, games, TV, videos
2 minutes and that’s it!
adults = topic detail
use hand signals
“Thank you for that information but
we must give others a turn.”
183
184
help him “come to the point”
A
use stop signs
use traffic signals
teach comprehension of idioms
B
185
186
use Grice’s Maxims
Quantity: saying just enough; not too
much, not too little
Quality: the truthfulness of the
information
Words carry the message,
Body language
carries
the emotion
Certain
messages
are never
spoken
Richard Lavoie
Relation: the relevancy of the
information
Manner: the clarity of the information
187
188
teach concept of “Time and Place”
our expectations differ according to
location (teacher will accept
“funniness” on playground but not in
class)
our expectations differ according to
situation ( different system needed
to respond to “happy” and “mad”)
189
190
teach abstract language
teach homophones (multiple meaning
words)
191
192
teach context clues
using a video:
knowing what you see, what do you think the
using a book:
characters are thinking, feeling, and intending
what do you know about the characters?
to do?
what are their intentions?
do your guesses “fit” the characters’ facial
what would YOU be feeling if you were in a
similar situation?
what do you THINK will happen next?
expressions and emotions?
what do you think will happen next?
for “real-time” situations use same
strategies
193
194
teach why compliments are nice to
receive
teach jokes
why is it funny?
presence of hyper-logical thinking and
deficient ToM creates a lack of “need”
types of compliments
Workbook. The Morning News. Jenison Public Schools, MI.
Gray, C. (1999). Gray’s Guide to Compliments: A Social
incongruity, presupposition, riddle
parody
focus on:
character
lexical items, minimal pairs, stress/
ability
juncture, phrase structure,
appearance
195
transformational ambiguity
196
teach implied meanings
“You stink!”
teach how to respond to praise
“Get out of here!”
“You’re crazy.”
simplify the language when giving
teach how to respond to criticism
teach recognition of facial features
directions
197
198
Social-Emotional Domain
Source: The Nonverbal Learning Disorders Kit, LinguiSystems, Inc.
199
200
Social-Emotional Issues
easily stressed
poor self-esteem
frequently overwhelmed by change
anxiety is common (PTSD?)
often ritualistic
sensory issues increase internal stress
Source: Coulter Video (www.coultervideo.com) Used with permission.
201
Factors Limiting the Ability to
Recognize Emotional States
excessive concrete reasoning
overuse of literal interpretation
limited analytic skills
limited flexibility
limited perspective taking
frequently depressed/suicidal
202
Intervention Strategies
for Social-Emotional
Deficits
focusing on one aspect and not the
whole
203
204
Treatment for
Social-Emotional Deficits
recognize and refer for depression
increase self-esteem
encourage eye-contact
use nonverbal techniques for feedback
teach how to recognize emotions in self
and in others
always use positive and unemotional
tone of voice
teach what to say when problems occur
problem solve
model others to study reactions
205
use safe havens and safe people to:
organize upcoming events
place to go for a break to release
stress
place to go to avoid a potential
meltdown
place to go during a meltdown
207
206
frequent meltdowns are a signal that too
much stress is present! Reduce it!
be aware that even though he looks
calm, he will be extremely stressed –
don’t expect too much too soon!
teach “abdominal surgery” to
caregivers
208
consider a tutor to reduce anxiety
teach how to relax
use positive reinforcement
teach how to predict another person’s
viewpoint
Teach the relationship between
negative feelings and anxiety-
producing situations and events.
Klin, A. and Volkmar, F. R. (1997). "Asperger’s Syndrome.” Edited by D. Cohen, and F. Volkmar,
Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders, New York, NY: Wiley.
209
210
“People expect cognition and social
functioning to be equally developed.
When kids with Asperger’s Syndrome
experience difficulty they wrongly
assume it is deliberate misconduct.”
Many children with AS remember
events from 5 years past as if they
happened 5 minutes ago. Teach them
to focus on what’s relevant right now
Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders, New York, NY: Wiley.
and not dwell on the past.
211
212
Klin, A. and Volkmar, F. R. (1997). "Asperger’s Syndrome.” Edited by D. Cohen, and F. Volkmar,
It is hoped that you...
learned something today that you didn’t
know before
feel more confident and are more willing
to work with students having social-
Thank you for coming.
Drive home safely.
pragmatic communication deficits
will try and make their chaotic world
more sensible
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