A social communication disorder may also be known as a pragmatic language disorder. Children that have pragmatic language disorders have trouble with the functional use of language for communication. It is characterized by difficulties with the use of verbal and nonverbal language for social purposes. Primary difficulties are in social interaction, social cognition, and pragmatics. The unwritten rules that govern social-communicative interaction are deficient. Nonverbal skills such as eye gaze, facial expressions, body posture, personal space, and gestures may be insufficient in children with pragmatic language disorders. Some children with pragmatic language problems may have difficulty appropriately requesting information, conveying information and clarifying themselves. They find themselves challenged expressing attitudes, emotions or even regulating social interaction. Conversational skills such as responding and acknowledging others, turn-taking, and topic maintenance are problematic. Some children with pragmatic language disorders find the act of verbally entering a social situation, and monitoring the social cues of others hard to do.
