Pragmatics consists of the use of language for a variety of communicative purposes, including requesting, advocating, telling stories, refusing, and making comments. Due to the intersectional nature of culture, individual differences, and pragmatics, formal standardized testing of pragmatic language is not generally able to achieve a comprehensive picture of an individual’s true ability to utilize the social language skills necessary to successfully navigate a variety of communication partners, topics, and environments. Instead, we use interviews, questionnaires, and dynamic assessment to guide student led goals for pragmatics and social language. Supporting students to build self-determination and self-advocacy skills is a common focus of our pragmatic language supports for students.

We also want to note that it is important to us at RIT/NTID to ensure that our social language services highlight working together with different communication modalities and styles. Many students seeking support for pragmatic language identify as neurodivergent (a person with a brain type different than the average person). These identities may include autism, ADHD, OCD, and others. We aim to be neuroinclusive and support each of our students to be successful in communication, while also remaining authentic to themselves.