Social Communication Difficulties

Social communication is often referred to as social skills or social interaction. Children may have social communication difficulties because they have diagnosis such as autism or as a result of other speech and/or language difficulties, 

Social communication refers to the skills used to communicate and interact with other people. This involves using words but also non-verbal communication such as gesture and body language. Examples of social communication skills include:

• Taking turns in conversation
• Listening to others
• Using appropriate gesture, eye contact, body language
• Understanding other people’s views
• Using appropriate words for the situation/person you are talking to
• Playing with other children

Children with social communication difficulties may find it hard to make and keep friends. They may have difficulty using appropriate words and interacting with others at school//with strangers. For example they may be overly familiar with people they don’t know/share too much information. 

Children with social communication difficulties may misinterpret what someone meant due to difficulties not understanding gesture,body language, tone of voice etc

Children with social communication difficulties may find it difficult to play/interact with other children their age, sometimes preferring to play with younger children or with adults.

Therapy will be focused on the specific areas that your child finds difficult. This may also include working on their speech and language skills to support them to be a more effective communicator.

Sometimes these approaches may have been designed for autistic children but can also be effective in supporting children with social communication difficulties without a diagnosis of autism.