Social Communication can include understanding personal boundaries, decoding non-verbal communication, feeling more comfortable participating in social activities, and recognizing/communicating one’s feelings.

Children who have a language disorder, are gestalt language processors, or are autistic may have difficulty in social situations. Social cues are often “abstract” in the sense that people use different facial expressions, movements, intonation, and words to express their feelings. We use figures of speech (such as idioms) that are not to be taken literally. This can be difficult to understand. For example, if someone says “break a leg” before a performance, that could be very confusing if taken literally. Another example would be someone yawning and saying “Well, it’s getting late” when they are ready to exit a conversation. Without stating their exact intentions, it can be difficult for children to decipher the meaning of that action and statement.

Therapy to improve social communication focuses on the client’s interests and comfort level. For example, if a child does not have interests in communicating with certain individuals, they should not be forced to. It is very important to respect the autonomy of our children and only help them gain the skills they want to gain. Some children may gain more confidence from therapy that supports social communication to allow them to participate more easily and comfortably in social settings. Others may not express interest in engaging in social settings.

Using a variety of strategies such as social scenes/scenarios, role play, and natural language acquisition, children can gain confidence in communicating with peers, medical professionals, teachers, and family members.