Language pragmatics in children with normal development and compare with in children with neurodevelopmental disorders

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Counseling, University of Rehabilitation Sciences and Social Health, Tehran, Iran

2 Hooshbahr Psychometric Research Center, Tehran,Iran

3 Department of Psychology and Education, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran,

Abstract

Background: One of the disabling factors in children is damage to social communication. Language pragmatics is one of the main components of social communication. The present study aims to evaluate and compare pragmatic ability in children with normal development and compare it with children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Method: This study was cross-sectional (causal-comparative). The statistical population was children aged 5 to 9 years in Tehran (1399-1400). 35 children with normal development and 119 children with neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder (24), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (25), attention deficit disorder (24), developmental language disorder (21), and social communication disorder (25) were selected non-randomly from 3 elementary schools and preschool centers as well as 11 rehabilitation centers. The diagnosis was made by a multidisciplinary based on observations, medical and family history, the American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic and treatment guidelines for mental disorders, and the results of the Language Functional Ability Questionnaire, Gilliam Autism Diagnostic Test-Second Edition (GARZ-2), SNAP-4, Newcomer and Hamill Language Development Test, Persian version of the Phonetic and Phonological Diagnostic Assessment Test, Iran-Stanford-Binet Test, and Children's Communication Checklist-Second Edition. Then, the mothers completed the Language Functional Ability Questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance.
Results: The results showed that there was difference significant in all three factors “the conversational rules and speech acts” factor, “the context” factor, and “the social perception and interaction “factor between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Developmental language disorder (DLD), Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder (SPCD), and 35 children and normal development (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Children with neurodevelopmental disorders have problems in all of the components of pragmatic abilities, therefore therapists these children should be able to assess pragmatic abilities and based on it, design special interventions for them.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

References
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Journal of Rehabilitation Counseling
Volume 1, Issue 2
July 2025
Pages 154-164

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History

  • Receive Date: 09 August 2025
  • Revise Date: 08 September 2025
  • Accept Date: 19 September 2025
  • Publish Date: 23 August 2025

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