Pragmatic skills include how we use and interpret body language, figurative language, and verbal communication appropriately in different settings and with different people. These skills begin developing during year one of life when babies smile at their parents to relate and communicate using learned emotions. They continue to develop throughout our lives as we face new situations that require social awareness, like interviewing for a job. Poor pragmatic skills may interfere with academic performance and forming relationships. Pragmatic skill weaknesses may be evident if the following occurs:

• Not using or responding to “typical” greetings on their own, such as “hello” and “how are you?”
• Difficulty following a peer’s play scheme or including others in their own play scheme
• Poor understanding and use of figurative language, such as idioms and sarcasm
• Difficulty seeing other perspectives and understanding others’ feelings
• Not changing communication style for different contexts/environments
• Difficulty making inferences and drawing conclusions