Social cognition and pragmatic competence. The case of children with specific language impairment

Abstract

The literature provides apparently contradictory evidence about the existence of a developmental delay in Social Cognition (SC) of children diagnosed with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). The aim of this work is to prove a more comprehensive picture of these studies, starting with a theoretical review about the relationship between language skills and SC, and finishing with the study of socio-cognitive skills in children with SLI. Finally, the work is concluded by establishing theoretical and practical guidelines that emphasize the importance of assessing the socio-cognitive component of pragmatics to make better diagnoses and to design an appropriate speech therapy for this population.

Keywords

• Social cognition
• pragmatics
• specific language impairment
• theory of mind
• pragmatic language impairment