Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder in Children With Specific Language Impairment

Abstract

Social communication disorder (SCD) has a rich history of different definitions and terms. It was known under the diagnostic label pragmatic language impairment, but it is currently known as SCD in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder. It is not clear if this language impairment is actually a separate diagnostic entity or an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) owing to a massive lack of clarification on this term and its diagnostic criteria. As such, the diagnostic criteria and treatment of SCD are limited. The aim of this review is to clarify the related literature of SCD and ASD, focusing on pragmatic disorder and their overlaps. In addition, there is no clear-cut distinction between SCD and ASD, despite the recent increase in research into the diagnostic criteria and tools for both of these language impairments. Therefore, the relationship between SCD and ASD should be further explored.