...And Then There’s Pragmatics

Tomorrow We’ll Talk About Artic.

Timothy P. Kowalski, M.A.,C.C.C. Professional Communication Services, Inc.

1401-A Edgewater Dr. Orlando, FL 32804

www.socialpragmatics.com

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Formal Definition

All the ways in which the grammar serves the needs of speakers as social human beings Foster, 1990

Language development in the context and environment in which it is generated Nikolski, Harryman, & Kresheck, 1989

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The study of how expressions of meaning by humans gain significance in context and use Smith & Leinonen, 1992

Rules governing the use of language in context Bates, 1976

The study of meaning in relation to speech situations Leech, 1982

15 definitions when searching on Google

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The social component of language

It’s easier to identify a social pragmatic disorder than to define it

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.

Informal Definition

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“Zero Order Skills”

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Listing pragmatic deficiencies is difficult but

everyone can identify “Zero Order Skills”

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7 8

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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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Why is it important to have good social-pragmatic

communication?

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Individuals with dysfunctional social-pragmatics have a social stigma

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

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What’s important?

Teacher Viewpoint

turn taking

perspective taking

logical communication

clarification

Adolescent Viewpoint

nonverbal comprehension

perspective taking

vocal tone interpretation

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What’s unimportant?Teacher Viewpoint

humor comprehension

slang usage

nonverbal comprehension

topic maintenance

Adolescent Viewpoint

eye contact

narrative

humor comprehension

topic maintenance

slang usage

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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

Listening Speaking Reading Writing

High

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 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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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.

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Those lacking social cognition had less positive employment experiences and showed more 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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Pragmatic Theories

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2 Major Theories

Social Learning

Interactional Approach

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Social LearningKey players: Vygotsky & Halliday

Concept: language is viewed as being acquired through the observation of 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

Based on analysis that babies have the ability to discriminate when to initiate and resond in turn-taking fashion

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Developmental Stages of Pragmatics

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Pre-schoolBirth - 1 year:

adults provide interactional structure Bruner, J. (1982). The formats of language acquisition. American Journal of Semiotics. 1: 155-178. synchronous adult-child interaction 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 proto-word 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.

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begins to imitate others’ vocalizations and gestures

cries become differentiated

shows objects to others

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

verbal turn-taking

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2-3 years:

elaboration of language forms and use of nonverbal language

development of Theory of Mind begins

turn-taking develops

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greater degree of conversational relevance

beginnings of conversational repairs

beginnings of metalinguistics

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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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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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4-5 years:

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.

London: Allen & Unwin.

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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

Early Elementary:

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Late Elementary:

9 years:

clear understanding of threats and cause-effect

greater recognition of Theory of Mind

decrease in nonspecific terms (thingy)

increased tact

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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.

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complexity continues to development

able to use communication in difficult situations - e.g. complaints, firing employee, initiating conversation with stranger, etc.

Adults:

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When Things Go Wrong

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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

does not point

limited initiation of conversation

ambiguous conversation

echolalia

perseveration

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poor non-verbal communication

eye signals

orientation to partner

body language

facial expression

gesture

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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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poor interaction skills

poor attention and listening

ADD or IDGAS?

poor turn taking (verbal & nonverbal)

minimal turn taking

avoiding conversation

Conversational Management

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reduced speech acts

restricted range

overuse of a single style (e.g. questions)

inappropriate use

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dysfunctional organization and relevance

minimal interest in topic

illogical sequence

incoherence

reduced cohesion

excessive attention to extraneous detail

central coherence

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dysfunctional topic management

poor introduction of topics

poor topic maintenance

inappropriate relevance

restricted interest

poor termination of conversation

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dysfunctional topic repair

failure to request clarification

failure to indicate non-comprehension

failure to supply clarification

failure to initiate repairs

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dysfunctional interactive style

rudeness

inappropriate style for setting

pedantic

overuse of cliches & utterances

hesitancy/too rapid in responding

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ignoring listener’s perspective

no tact

lack of empathy

providing too much/little information

intermingling of new information with old

using more generals than specifics

Presupposition (assumption of what others are thinking)

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reliance upon nonspecifics (e.g. “it, thing”)

overly formal language

inability to use narratives

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

use of jargon

word substitution (e.g. “pork” for “fork” or “hand” for “foot”)

tendency to be repetitive

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reduced ability to decipher the world around him

central coherence

poor inferencing

hyper-literality

confusion of referents during conversation

Comprehension and Knowledge Base

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inability to monitor own comprehension

inability to comprehend the intention of others

inability to comprehend facial expressions

poor sense of time and temporal language

inability to use spatial language

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reduced comprehension of narratives

reduced ability to comprehend irony, humor, metaphors, and idioms

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Factors Predisposing Social-Pragmatic

Dysfunction Anderson-Wood, L. and Smith, B. (2000). Working with Pragmatics. Bicester, Oxon UK: Winslow Press, Ltd.

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Neurobiological

neurological disorders

psychiatric disorders

slow cognitive or linguistic processing

deficient linguistics

immaturity

personality factors

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Social-Emotional Factors

environmental factors

social isolation

lack of confidence

poor self esteem

defensiveness

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Factors in the Self

reduced sense of self

reduced integrative ability

reduced inner coherence

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Imaginative Factors

poor imagination

poor Theory of Mind

poor empathy

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Cognitive Style

rigid thought processing

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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Social-Pragmatic Communication

Assessment

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Always keep in mind:

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 Complicationsdeficiency 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 speech-language 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. 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

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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

when successful communication strategies are used

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Inherent Difficulties in the Assessment of Social-

Pragmatic Communication

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Inherent Problems:

lack of normative data

subjectivity of observation

definition of “What is acceptable behavior?”

partner’s impact on student

setting

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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 assessment

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cultural mores

environmental situation

demands of a specific activity

role and code-shifting

relationships and impact of prior events

Complexity of Context

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current state of relationship (e.g. the mom who helped her daughter using Craig’s list)

knowledge of the partner

strangers are harder to engage than friends

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topic knowledge

linguistic context

deleting mutually known information

inferential context

one must understand the partner’s intent

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Questionnaire data

Interview data

Observational data

pen and paper recording

audio recording

video recording

video-relay

observation window

Assessment Methods

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Social-Pragmatic Communication

Assessment

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nonverbal communication

non-literal language

speech prosody

social-pragmatic communication

Communication Assessment

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Recommended nonverbal communication procedures:

eye gaze

gestures

Recommended non-literal procedures:

metaphor

irony

absurdity

humor

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Recommended speech prosody procedures:

melody

volume (loudness)

stress

pitch

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Recommended social-pragmatic communication procedures:

turn-taking

cues & prompts

social-conversational rules

conversational coherence

reciprocity

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Tools Appropriate for Pre-School Ages

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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.

provides a structured set of questions to be asked of parents, caregivers, etc.

targets:

communicative intentions

response to communication

interaction and conversation

contextual variation

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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 method of analyzing conversational data

composed of 8 intentional categories

appropriate for any age group

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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 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

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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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.

explores the level of adequacy demonstrated by children’s pragmatic functioning

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Bristol Language Development Scales

Gutfreund, M. (1989). Briston Language Development Scales. Windsor: NFER-Nelson.

provides a comprehensive approach to the assessment of language production by children

aids in the planning of appropriate therapy

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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.

procedure for structuring observation of the communicative interactions of children in a naturalistic setting

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 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 McTear, M. (1985). Children’s Conversation. Oxford: Blackwells.

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Tools Appropriate for Grades K-12 and Adults

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Conversational Effectiveness Profile-Revised

Kowalski, T. (2010) Social-Pragmatic Success. Orlando: Professional Communication Services, Inc.

observational rating scale comprised of 6 domains:

social interaction social communication academic communication nonverbal communication

perspective taking

CEP-RConversational Effectiveness Profile - Revised

Name Address

SchoolExaminerSetting

Year Month DayDateBirth DateAge

Summary/Response Form

Interpretation of FindingsPercent

Appropriate

Percent Somewhat

Inappropri-ate

Percent Extremely

InappropriateSocial 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?

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Dore’s Conversational Acts

Stickler, K. R. (1987). Guide to Analysis of Language Transcripts. Eau Claire, WI: Thinking Publications.

used to assess the function behind an utterance

comprised of 3 parts based on the message’s

meaning

syntax

speaker’s intent

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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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Dore’s Conversational Acts: 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

evaluations

attributions

explanations

facts

definitions

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Dore’s Conversational Acts: Acknowledgments

comments that recognize and evaluate responses such as:

acceptances

approval/agreements

disapproval/disagreements

conversational returns

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Dore’s Conversational Acts: Organization Devices

comments that regulate contact and conversation such as:

boundary markers calls speaker selections politeness markers accompaniments

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Dore’s Conversational Acts: Performatives

comments that serve to accomplish their task:

protests jokes claims warning teasing

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Dore’s Conversational Acts: Miscellaneous

unclassifiable utterances such as:

no responses

unintelligible responses

exclamations

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Tough’s Functions of Language 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

identifies 4 major functions of language:

directive

interpretive

projective

relational

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Fey’s Pragmatic Patterns Fey, M.E. (1986). Language Intervention with Young Children. San Diego, CA: College-Hill Press.

Active Conversationalist

Yes

Verbal Noncommunicator

No

Is the child responsive in communication?

Yes

Passive Conversationalist

Yes

Inactive Communicator

No

Is the child responsive in communication?

No

Is the child assertive in conversation?

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Fey’s Pragmatic Patterns: Active Conversationalists

assertive and responsive

interested in their conversational partner

lend information to the conversation

may need assistance in expansion techniques

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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

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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:

Verbal Non-Communicatorassertive 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 Pragmatic Protocol 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

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Communicative Partner Profile Anderson-Wood, L. and Smith, B. (2000). Working with Pragmatics. Oxon, UK: WinslowPress, Ltd.

checklist based on the following skills:

facilitating relationships facilitating conversational interaction facilitating communication development non-facilitating strategies training for communicative partners

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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.

provides a quick overview of the social domain of language

uses a rating scale: 1 (severe) to 5 (normal)

geared more for psychiatric group treatment

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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.

can be used to identify pragmatic language deficits

provides a measure on 6 topical subtests and a composite total score

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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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Pragmatic Rating Scale Anderson-Wood, L. and Smith, B. (2000). Working with Pragmatics. Oxon, UK: WinslowPress, Ltd.

designed to compare communication performance against others

non-standardized rating scale

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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 demonstration of strengths and weaknesses

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Directing Discourse

Blank M, Marquis MA, Klimovitch M : Directing Early Discourse,  Communication Skill Builders,  Tucson,  AZ,  1995

a procedure utilizing a probing checklist to analyze and enhance conversational effectiveness

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Evaluating Communicative Competence: A Functional Pragmatic

Procedure Simon, C. (1986). Evaluating Communicative Competence: A Functional Pragmatic Procedure. Tucson: Communication Skill Builders

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 during a hurricane)

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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

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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

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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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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

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Many students with social-pragmatic communication deficits

have deficient social thinking.

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Appropriate social skills are dependent upon:

motivation to “fit in”

accurately perceive situations

decode information from others

perform the necessary social skills

recognize social feedback

act upon the social feedback

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Theory of Mind (ToM)

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Meet the Fockers

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Recognizing our place in societySociety’s expectations

You

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Theory of MindUta Frith

definition

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

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Level 1 ToM“I know that not everyone thinks the same way that I do.”

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ignoring listener’s perspective

inappropriate provision of information

confusing “old” and “new” information

overuse of non-specific information (e.g. “it” or “thing”)

Level 1 manifestations:

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“everyone thinks like me”

inability to engage another outside are of interest

inability to recognize locations/situations have multiple expectations

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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).

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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

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overwhelming ideation (“I can’t go to school - my shirt’s dirty!”)

lack of joint attention

inability to recognize facial expressions

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Deficits Related to ToM

Myles, B. and Southwick, J. (1999). Asperger Syndrome and Difficult Moments. Shawnee Mission, KA: Autism Asperger Publishing Co.

difficulty explaining own behaviors

difficulty understanding emotions

difficulty predicting the behavior and emotional states of others

problems understanding the perspectives of others

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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

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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.

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Executive Functions

(Educators call it “Organizational Skills”)

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Executive Functions

Definition: how you process, plan, and carryout a procedure to complete a task

Example: Time Management

Requires 4 significant skill areas

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1. Flexibility of Thought

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)

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2. Identification of Relevance

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

manifested in

inability to identify what works and what doesn’t

inability to apply a skill to a new situation

145

4. Goal Focus

Definition: the ability to remain focused and on-task, despite presence of competing information

manifested in:

getting stuck in details

getting distracted

146

Summary of Deficits Associated with Executive Functions

Flexibility of Thought No

Identify Relevance No

Experiential Learning No

Goal Focus No

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Central Coherence

148

Central CoherenceDefinition: 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 NTs

149

Summary of Deficits Associated with Central Cohesion

Input Style Single

Detail Driven Yes

Sees “Big Picture” No

Memory Style Factual Data

Integration Style Random Input

150

Emotional IntelligenceThe Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations

www.eiconsortium.org

151

Emotional Intelligence

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

152

Personal CompetenceLevel Sublevel Manifestations

1. self awareness

1. emotional awareness: recognizing one’s emotions and their effects

1. can’t recognize and explain their emotions 2. can’t associate feelings with their behavior 3. can’t realize their feelings impact performance

153

Theoretical Approaches to Intervention

154

Linguistic Approachsuggests that language is acquired in the same way as other genetically pre-programmed abilities (e.g. motor coordination)

importance of clinician is limited because child is “pre-programmed” to acquire language

155

Behaviorist Approach

traditional behaviorists postulate that language is merely one of many behaviors that can be shaped and reinforced by caregivers

has strengths and weaknesses

156

Interactionist Approach

communication develops by interacting with the environment

the therapist is a facilitator of language rather than a teacher

157

Social Learning Approachstress the complexity of communication 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

158

Communication Centered Approach

pragmatics based designed to put the focus on the child as the controller of the interaction thereby increasing interaction

allows for experimentation for further success

159

Social and Emotional Issues

Social-Interactive Domain Social-Communicative Domain

Social-Emotional Domain

160

Social-Interactive Domain

161

Social-Interactive Issues

frequently lack tact

poor proxemics

poor social rules

egocentric

jokes difficult to comprehend

162

Intervention Strategies for Social-Interaction Deficits

teach that their actions have an impact on others

use Disability Awareness Programs

use buddy systems

use structured play groups

use social stories

163

use social autopsies

teach perspective taking

teach how to share

teach how to negotiate

164

use comic strip conversationsI'll help

you with

this hard

stuff,

Susan.

I don't want

to do this

stuff.

165

use topic boxes to:

generate opinions about a topic

determine student’s current knowledge about a topic

generalize new information to outside settings

166

teach how to work in small groups

gain respect through academic strengths

protect from teasing

use drama to teach social interaction

use routines

teach how to transition

167

use visual supports such as:

calendars

schedules

checklists

168

Problem

Is it

Fixed?

Yes No

169

teach how to solve an argument

develop social skills through imitation

teach how to accept another’s viewpoint

use contingency statements

170

Teach flexibility of thought

use figure-ground reversal illusions

171

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

172

Teach flexibility of thought

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

Teach flexibility of thought

use set shifting games

174

set shifting games

1 2 3

4 65

7 8 9

175

Social-Communicative Domain

176

Social-Communicative Issues

difficulty with conversational rules

unique prosody

perseverative questioning

pedantic speech frequently common:

“The Little Professor”

177

poor abstract reasoning

poor nonverbal communication skills

60-90% of message typically nonverbal

178

Intervention Strategies for

Social-Communicative Deficits

179

Treatment for 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:

how it is used for conversational emphasis

reciprocal attention getting

conveying shared interests

nonverbal means of indicating confusion and disapproval

181

teach conversational skills

how to initiate conversation

how to use turn taking

how to expand the conversation

teach conversational repair skills

182

teach topic concepts

family = personal

peers = movies, games, TV, videos

adults = topic detail

183

limit time spent on personal fixation

no one can ask 2 consecutive questions

everyone asks a question

2 minutes and that’s it!

use hand signals

“Thank you for that information but we must give others a turn.”

184

use stop signs

use traffic signals

teach comprehension of idioms

185

help him “come to the point”

B

A

186

Quantity: saying just enough; not too much, not too little

Quality: the truthfulness of the information

Relation: the relevancy of the information

Manner: the clarity of the information

use Grice’s Maxims

187

Words carry the message, Body language carries the emotion

Richard Lavoie

Certain messages are never spoken

188

189

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”)

190

191

teach abstract language

teach homophones (multiple meaning words)

192

teach context clues

using a book:

what do you know about the characters?

what are their intentions?

what would YOU be feeling if you were in a similar situation?

what do you THINK will happen next?

193

using a video:

knowing what you see, what do you think the characters are thinking, feeling, and intending to do?

do your guesses “fit” the characters’ facial expressions and emotions?

what do you think will happen next?

for “real-time” situations use same strategies

194

teach why compliments are nice to receive

presence of hyper-logical thinking and deficient ToM creates a lack of “need”

types of compliments Gray, C. (1999). Gray’s Guide to Compliments: A Social

Workbook. The Morning News. Jenison Public Schools, MI.

character

ability

appearance

195

teach jokes

why is it funny?

incongruity, presupposition, riddle parody

focus on:

lexical items, minimal pairs, stress/juncture, phrase structure, transformational ambiguity

196

teach implied meanings

“You stink!”

“Get out of here!”

“You’re crazy.”

simplify the language when giving directions

197

teach how to respond to praise

teach how to respond to criticism

teach recognition of facial features

198

Source: The Nonverbal Learning Disorders Kit, LinguiSystems, Inc.

199

Social-Emotional Domain

200

Source: Coulter Video (www.coultervideo.com) Used with permission.

201

Social-Emotional Issueseasily stressed

poor self-esteem

frequently overwhelmed by change

anxiety is common (PTSD?)

often ritualistic

sensory issues increase internal stress

frequently depressed/suicidal

202

Factors Limiting the Ability to Recognize Emotional States

excessive concrete reasoning overuse of literal interpretation limited analytic skills limited flexibility limited perspective taking focusing on one aspect and not the whole

203

Intervention Strategies for Social-Emotional

Deficits

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

205

always use positive and unemotional tone of voice

teach what to say when problems occur

problem solve

model others to study reactions

206

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

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

209

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.

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.”

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.

211

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

and not dwell on the past.

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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-pragmatic communication deficits

will try and make their chaotic world more sensible

213

Thank you for coming. Drive home safely.

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