Daily interventions for high-functioning autism – social groups or speech therapists can improve pragmatic deficits

Many children with autism, even if they have strong language skills, often have difficulty understanding abstract or complex language concepts. Autistic children may misunderstand when the meaning and the literal meaning are different, such as sarcasm, jokes, or other rhetorical devices. These difficulties are collectively referred to linguistically as "pragmatic" deficiencies. There are many rules hidden behind the conversation, even if they are not explicit, ordinary people can usually understand them naturally. These rules include that statements are made in a rotational manner, concise and on topic. We know how to choose and maintain a topic at the right time, and how to switch new topics. We know how to "read" others and adjust the conversation to meet their needs; if someone seems bored, we try to make the conversation more lively and interesting, or change the topic. However, children with autism may not be aware of these rules, so they must always be explicitly taught how to teach them. I think having a good social skills group will solve this problem. However, if you don't have a group like this in your area, or if it doesn't provide training in conversation skills, you'll need to look for a speech therapist who has experience in interventions for children with autism. Okay, parents who have questions above can pay attention to me, thank you.