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Cited by 126Autism Spectrum Disorder ResearchLanguage Development and DisordersChild Nutrition and Feeding Issues

Social (pragmatic) communication disorders and autism spectrum disorder

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Baird, Gillian, Norbury, Courtenay Frazier·2016·Archives of Disease in Childhood
DOI 10.1136/archdischild-2014-306944
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Abstract

Changes have been made to the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the recent revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), and similar changes are likely in the WHO International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) due in 2017. In light of these changes, a new clinical disorder, social (pragmatic) communication disorder (SPCD), was added to the neurodevelopmental disorders section of DSM-5. This article describes the key features of ASD, SPCD and the draft ICD-11 approach to pragmatic language impairment, highlighting points of overlap between the disorders and criteria for differential diagnosis.

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  • The ICD-11 Working Group concluded there was insufficient evidence of a disorder in social communication separable from Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Language Disorder.

    “Although the ICD-11 Working Group considered adding the category of Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder, it concluded that there was insufficient evidence of a disorder in social communication separable from Autism Spectrum Disorder on the one hand and Developmental Language Disorder on the other 32,34 .”

    From An organization‐ and category‐level comparison of diagnostic requirements for mental disorders in <scp>ICD</scp> ‐11 and <scp>DSM</scp> ‐5 (2021) · cites this paper as [34]

    The Conclusion (page not specified in our copy) says SPCD has not been included in ICD-11, that its validity remains to be established, and that pragmatic language disorder is instead a qualifier under Developmental Language Disorder. This supports the broad account of the ICD-11 approach, but the paper does not say that an ICD-11 Working Group considered adding SPCD or explicitly concluded there was insufficient evidence to separate it from both ASD and Developmental Language Disorder. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 21

  1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author; 2013.
  2. Kiser DP, Rivero O, Lesch K-P. Annual Research Review: The (epi)genetics of neurodevelopmental disorders in the era of whole-genome sequencing -unveiling the dark matter. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2015 Mar;56(3):278-95.
  3. Norbury CF. Practitioner Review: Social (pragmatic) communication disorder conceptualization, evidence and clinical implications. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2014 Mar;55(3):204-16.
  4. Swineford LB, Thurm A, Baird G, Wetherby AM, Swedo S. Social (pragmatic) communication disorder: a research review of this new DSM-5 diagnostic category. J Neurodev Disord. 2014;6(1):41.
  5. Adams C. Social Communication Intervention for School-Age Children: Rationale and Description. Semin Speech Lang. 2005 Aug;26(03):181-8.
  6. Skuse DH. DSM-5's Conceptualization of Autistic Disorders. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2012 Apr;51(4):344-6.
  7. Bishop DVM, Norbury CF. Exploring the borderlands of autistic disorder and specific language impairment: a study using standardised diagnostic instruments. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2002 Oct;43(7):917-29.
  8. Norbury CF, Nash M, Baird G, Bishop DVM. Using a parental checklist to identify diagnostic groups in children with communication impairment: a validation of the Children's Communication Checklist-2. Int J Lang Commun Disord. 2004 Jan;39(3):345-64.
  9. Conti-Ramsden G, Crutchley A, Botting N. The extent to which psychometric tests differentiate subgroups of children with SLI. J Speech Lang Hear Res JSLHR. 1997 Aug;40(4):765-77.
  10. Reilly S, Bishop DVM, Tomblin B. Terminological debate over language impairment in children: forward movement and sticking points: Terminology for children with language problems. Int J Lang Commun Disord. 2014 Jul;49(4):452-62.
  11. Miller M, Young GS, Hutman T, Johnson S, Schwichtenberg AJ, Ozonoff S. Early pragmatic language difficulties in siblings of children with autism: implications for DSM- 5 social communication disorder? J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2015 Jul;56(7):774-81.
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  13. Gremillion ML, Martel MM. Merely Misunderstood? Receptive, Expressive, and Pragmatic Language in Young Children With Disruptive Behavior Disorders. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2014 Sep;43(5):765-76.
  14. Im-Bolter N, Cohen NJ, Farnia F. I thought we were good: social cognition, figurative language, and adolescent psychopathology. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2013 Jul;54(7):724-32.
  15. Im-Bolter N, Cohen NJ. Language Impairment and Psychiatric Comorbidities. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2007 Jun;54(3):525-42.
  16. Whitehouse AJO, Watt HJ, Line EA, Bishop DVM. Adult psychosocial outcomes of children with specific language impairment, pragmatic language impairment and autism. Int J Lang Commun Disord. 2009 Jan 1;44(4):511-28.
  17. Adams C. Practitioner review: the assessment of language pragmatics. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2002 Nov;43(8):973-87.
  18. Bishop DVM. Children's Communication Checklist-2. London: Pearson; 2003.
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  20. O'Neill DK. The language use inventory for young children: a parent-report measure of pragmatic language development for 18-to 47-month-old children. J Speech Lang Hear Res JSLHR. 2007 Feb;50(1):214-28.
  21. Adams C, Lockton E, Freed J, Gaile J, Earl G, McBean K, et al. The Social Communication Intervention Project: a randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of speech and language therapy for school-age children who have pragmatic and social communication problems with or without autism spectrum disorder. Int J Lang Commun Disord R Coll Speech Lang Ther. 2012 Jun;47(3):233-44.

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Authors
Baird, G., & Norbury, C. F.
Affiliations
  • Kings Health Partners (GB)
  • University College London (GB)
Corresponding author
Baird, Gillian
ORCID
Venue
Archives of Disease in Childhood
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2015-12-23
Volume
101
Issue
8
Pages
745-751
ISSN
  • 0003-9888 (ISSN-L)
  • 1468-2044
DOI
10.1136/archdischild-2014-306944
OpenAlex
W2238354561
Cited by
126
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 2 · 2013: 1
FWCI
2.60
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Archives of Disease in Childhood (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues
Keywords
social (pragmatic) communication disorder, autism spectrum disorder, pragmatic language impairment, DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, ICD-11, differential diagnosis, neurodevelopmental disorders, diagnostic classification
MeSH terms
Autism Spectrum Disorder, Adolescent, Child, Child, Preschool, Communication Disorders, Diagnosis, Differential, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Language Disorders, Practice Guidelines as Topic, Age of Onset, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

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