We have already talked about Babies and more about different language disorders, such as language delay, Specific Language Disorder (T.E.L.) or dysphasia. Today we will try to clarify a little more what is the Semantic-Pragmatic Disorder, a "label" that is currently beginning to gain strength among language alterations.
In this disorder, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic aspects are involved, all of them very important aspects for the development of the social language and communication of the child with his or her environment on a day-to-day basis.
Today we will briefly see what these three language skills consist of and how they relate to possible alterations in the child's language, as well as the main characteristics of children with a semantic-pragmatic disorder and how we can help these children communicate better. With the surroundings.
Syntactic, semantic and pragmatic
When we talk about the syntactic we refer to how the words are organized in the phrases and sentences that the child uses in his daily life. Surely when your children began to speak they said phrases that were poorly organized, of the type "agua nene guta" or "broken car you". Gradually, as they grow they will be making phrases increasingly similar to those we say adults.
The semantics, meanwhile, refers to the meaning of the different words that the child uses in his sentences or phrases. Younger children constantly make mistakes in the meaning of the words they use. For example, if our son tells us "baby water", even if the order is wrong we know what it means; However, if what he tells us is “nene gua ata”, the phrase is well done but we cannot interpret what he tells us.
Finally, the pragmatic is responsible for the use of language. It is here that children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (T.E.A.) or Asperger's Syndrome present more difficulties, since they express what they think or feel regardless of their environment. For example, if a child is crying because he has fallen off the bike and he seems to play with his bike, he will probably ask him before if he can ride on it before asking how he is doing.
Semantic-Pragmatic Disorder: how to detect it
In children diagnosed with “Semantic-Pragmatic Disorder”, a delay in language development, as well as difficulties in understanding and expressing oneself. When they are young, approximately before the age of four or five, these children tend to be quiet and do not usually respond when someone calls them (it is as if they had some kind of hearing problem).
His speech start is delayed in time, having difficulty expressing what he wants. On the other hand, usually say phrases that you hear quite often when they don't make sense, such as “how delicious the soup!” while doing a puzzle.
In addition, many times his eye contact is quite poor, so you have to remind him many times that when he talks to someone he has to look into his eyes to be able to reinforce the conversation.
When they are a little older, from four or five years old, when we look at the little one we can see that he feels predilection and perfectly dominates puzzles, numbers, letters, shapes and colors and even computers or tablets. In addition, some obsession with certain personal interests is noted.
The ecolalia persists that should have been eliminated by three or four years, repeating both words and whole sentences. Also, if those phrases have a second intention or figurative language ("the neighbor is already barking") these children do not understand them.
Faced with strong stimuli, such as the sound of the vacuum cleaner, the washing machine or blowing up a balloon, they show a great hypersensitivity, causing them situations that are quite unpleasant.
Finally, it can also be observed that you may have some kind of slight problem at the motor level (thick and / or fine), in addition to having difficulties with abstract concepts such as time and even they can get to read at inappropriate ages (or too soon or too late), showing serious problems of understanding.
Help to communicate
With the right work and support, the communication skills of these children can evolve quite favorably. Constant attention and interaction are necessary to help change and control their behavior, as well as improve their communication skills.
It is important to make simple manipulative games that have a logical and sequential order, as well as to perform them in quiet places, with visual aids (such as gestures) and creating situations that favor conversations to help socialization.
These children, as we have said, find the abstract concepts complex, so you should avoid using these types of aspects, as well as explain metaphors, irony, jokes, sarcasms ... whenever they appear unexpectedly in a conversation.
It's very important keep a routine that helps that there is no unforeseen event that may alter the child due to lack of understanding; If this were so, you should anticipate any changes that may exist, and if such a change is unexpected and unavoidable, we must help you deal with it.
However, as we always say, it should be the specialized therapist who indicates the family and the environment what strategies to take for each specific case, since not all children with Semantic-Pragmatic Disorder they have the same difficulties or with the same degree of affectation.
