Language Pragmatics, and being social/communication?

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I heard that those with Asperger's/HFA have trouble with language pragmatics, or the social context or adapting speech to different types of audiences. I've heard this deficit can make AS look like they're mindlessly quoting from a book/stating random facts, even if they're applying what they know in truly original ways. I heard that improving pragmatic skills can help AS with communication/socializing altogether.

Have you heard anything about language pragmatics?

Can you improve your language pragmatics?

That may be what my daughter means by my needing to "dumb down" my wording for different people. She says my vocabulary is much better than average and some people are put off or confused by it. Personally, I get offended if I think someone's doing that to me, so it's hard for me to think of "dumbing down" as something positive.

Regards,

Patricia

I agree, I feel the same way about the dumbing things down, but when you use words that people don't understand, they get offended 'cause they think you're being pretentious or a show-off. When people don't understand what you're saying, a lot of times they think you're doing it on purpose, and making fun of them/calling them stupid for talking about things that they don't get.

I don't actually have issues with pragmatic content, i actually rely on it to have a coherrent conversation. Which can make it very difficult talking to other people on the spectrum

Having poor language pragmatics is more of an aspergers thing as opposed to an HFA thing.


You could probably come up with a few general rules when speaking that would help, but i don't think you could ever actually improve your base understanding. You either have it or you don't

I remember my brother trying to explain this to me when I was about fifteen. I was trying to tell the brother of a friend of mine that his sister had gone to buy chips for the family lunch.

The lad couldn't understand what I was saying, and I was getting increasingly frustrated. My brother patted my arm, and said, "don't worry M... I speak their language..." Then proceeded to yell across to my friend's brother, "oy, mate... Penny's gone down the chippy."

It might sound stupid, but it came as a real revelation that this is how most people talk to each other.

This morning it stood me in good stead. I was watching from my bedroom window the kids at the local bus stop on the way to school. Our neighbours take it in turns to watch out for the kids.

One boy started poking one of the girls, then he got out a lighter and started flicking it.

I opened the window and bellowed at the top of my lungs,

"Oy, dipstick, how thick are you?"

I couldn't have said this even a few years ago... I'd have said something like, "excuse me young man, what precisely do you think you're doing?"

Dipstick did stop what he was doing, and I did phone the school to get his lighter confiscated.

Anyway... I thought that might be a good example for this thread?

That reminds me of the day I was sitting on the couch and my daughter and grand-nephew came walking through the living room on their way out -- they were about 13 and 5 at the time -- and I hear my daughter say, "Okay, Tryssie, I've got a lighter. You bring the hairspray out on the sidewalk and I'll show you something really cool."

My response was something along the lines of: "S--,do you really think that's a good idea?"

She stopped and considered it and decided it wasn't so they went and did something else instead. It's funny now, but kind of heart-stopping at the time.

Regards,

Patricia

Yes, I've heard of language pragmatics. Issues with such are considered among the most stigmatizing aspects of AS/HFA.

There are interventions for improving it. However, the vast majority of interventions are designed for children.

I'm fairly sure I've improved since childhood. IMO, the issue has less to do with abstract understanding and more to do with unconsciously noting and imitating speech patterns in others.

Pragmatic content problems can arise in several ways. Some have trouble noting the patterns. Others are aware of the patterns but don't have the instinctual urge to imitate and/or adjust based on the setting/context of the conversation. Some eventually learn pragmatics but take a longer time due to the person requiring a longer time of exposure to the pragmatic forms before they sink in. Also, sometimes low pragmatic understanding is simply a consequence of social isolation, i.e. lack of experience, not a true learning disability.

The reason why is it used to be that I was accused of fact dropping a lot. Then someone found out what I was really trying to say, and told me I have to explain why I'm saying what I'm saying, and adapt it to the audience, or else people won't understand that I'm actually trying to share ideas I thought of. That was years ago and now I'm a lot better, but I still have problems sometimes. So I would guess that ties into language pragmatics?