Most parents hear the word pragmatics and think it means manners, politeness, or social skills. That is not what it actually is. Pragmatics is how language is used to think, organize ideas, and understand what matters. Without it, language breaks down, even when a child knows vocabulary, speaks in sentences, or can read words on […]
Pragmatics: The Glue That Holds Language Together Read More »
In the world of educational assessments, there’s a long-standing reverence for the IQ score (Ritchie, 2015). Intelligence has often been seen as the gold standard for predicting academic success (Ren et al., 2015). However, in the case of twice-exceptional (2e) children—those with high IQs but significant learning disabilities—this traditional view can be misleading, especially when
Gifted but Overlooked: Rethinking Evaluation for 2e Students Read More »
As summer approaches, many families begin to wind down from the academic year, looking forward to a break from routines, early mornings, and school responsibilities. While rest and unstructured time are important for children, pausing language and literacy therapy over the summer can have serious consequences, especially for students with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Autism,
In my years of clinical practice, I’ve witnessed firsthand the powerful transformations that can take place in students receiving high-quality, evidence-based therapy for social pragmatic deficits. I’ve also seen something else: the frustration, sometimes shared by parents, educators, and even therapists, when those gains aren’t as obvious or easy to measure as progress in other
Why Social Pragmatic Progress Is Real—But Hard to See Read More »
After my last post, a number of parents and SLPs have contacted me to find out what typical therapy sessions with young adults look like on a weekly basis. They were especially curious about how therapy can support young adults who struggle with managing emotions, staying organized, and navigating social situations. Many of these young
One Step at a Time: Therapy for Young Adults that Works Read More »
As a parent, ensuring your child receives the right interventions for their reading or writing deficits is crucial. However, many narrowly focused reading and spelling programs emphasize isolated aspects of reading and writing. While these approaches can limitedly help with specific skills, they often fail to address the broader, critical contributions of oral language and
Dear Parents: Ask the Right Questions to Get the Right Services Read More »
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has long been a well-researched gold standard in psychotherapy for addressing emotional regulation, anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges. However, its effectiveness relies heavily on the individual’s ability to comprehend and engage with its cognitive and verbal demands. For individuals with language impairments and pragmatic deficits, CBT alone will fall
Why CBT Falls Short Without Language and Pragmatic Therapy Read More »
In a recent post, I emphasized the the importance of contextualized language interventions over traditional, decontextualized therapy methods. I explained how embedding language goals into meaningful, real-world activities—such as literacy-based tasks and narrative therapy—results in greater engagement, better learning, and improved generalization of skills. Today I wanted to illustrate how incorporating engaging materials such as
Treating students with psychiatric impairments requires a multifaceted approach. While psychotherapy remains a cornerstone in the management of psychiatric issues, its effectiveness can be significantly limited if cognitive and communicative aspects are not addressed concurrently. This post explores the crucial role of SLP-led social pragmatic therapy, complementing psychotherapeutic interventions, with a particular emphasis on perspective-taking,
Enhancing Psychotherapy Outcomes: The Critical Role of Social Pragmatic Therapy Read More »
Students with language and learning needs face challenges in their social interactions with others. Among the essential aspects needed for social interactions is pragmatics, which encompasses the ability to use language appropriately in various social contexts. This post explores why solid pragmatic abilities are fundamental for self-advocacy purposes in students with socialization difficulties. Pragmatic abilities
The Role of Pragmatic Abilities in Facilitating Self-Advocacy Read More »