Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder

Social (pragmatic) communication disorder (SPCD) is a disorder where individuals have difficulties with verbal and nonverbal social communication. As well, SPCD lacks behaviors associated with restrictions and repetition.

Relates to Pragmatic Language Impairment and Autism Spectrum Disorder. It has only been within the last six years (in 2013) that SPCD has become its own category in the DSM-5. In creating this new category it allowed individuals to be considered with a form of disorder that was different from PLI and ASD.

Presentation

1. Issues with communication for social purposes
2. Unable to adapt communication to context
3. Struggles to follow conversation and story type situation
4. Unable to understand abstract ideas.

Diagnosis

Due to the fact that the SPCD has only been categorized in the last six years, diagnosis is yet to be fully established. In the DSM-5, the child is diagnosed with SCD if the child does not meet the criteria for other disorders such as ASD and PDD-NOS. Common assessments used to identify SPCD are:

1. The developmental, dimensional and diagnostic interview (3Di)
2. The child communication checklist (CCC)
3. The strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ)
4. Natural Observation
5. Targeted Observation of Pragmatics in Children's Conversations (TOPICC)
6. Analysis of Language Impaired Children's Conversation (ALICC)
7. Structured Observation
8. Test of Language Competence
9. Assessment of Comprehension and Expression (ACE 6‐11)
10. Test of Pragmatic Language
11. Bus story
12. Expression, Reception and Recall of Narrative Instrument (ERRNI)

Although there are several tests that can be done to try to identify SPCD, there are some tests that are better suited to diagnose SPCD than others. As well, there is not a specific assessment or test that is able to diagnose SPCD unlike other disorders such as ASD, DLD and PLI.

History

As mentioned in the introduction, SPCD has only been around for the last six years. Before it emerged as its own disorder SPCD could have fallen into ASD, PLI, DLD, etc. The reason being because several of these disorders include an issue with social communication. In terms of developmental language disorder (DLD), individuals with this disorder have issues with language form and content and there seem to be any developmental cause. In social environments DLD seemed to have less difficulties than SPCD.

In regards to ASD, ASD behaviors normally involve repetitive behaviors which are normally not present in SPCD. It does not mean that SPCD does not show such behaviors.

PLI tends to be the disorder that is more common to SPCD than the other disorders due to the fact that both disorders are focused on the pragmatic difficulties individuals have in language with both disorders. SPCD has an element of social communication that is lacking or undeveloped, unlike PLI.

In terms of Specific language impairment, there tends to a lot of similarities to SCPD and PLI but SLI deals with Semantic-Pragmatic issues. This means that there are several issues that fall into Semantic- Pragmatic issues such as uncommon word choice, speaking to oneself out loud and interesting, unimpaired phonology and syntax.