Pragmatic difficulties and socio-emotional problems: a case study

Dialogue structures, use of utterance functions and dialogue coherence were analysed in a 5-year-old boy with socio-emotional problems in a kindergarten. His communicative performance, understood in these terms, was compared with those of his normal peers. Observations were taken from natural free play in peer groups. The utterances and communication of the children were written down, scored and analysed. Analysis indicated that the boy differed significantly from his peers in communicative performance. This varied, however, depending on the play group constellation. When the boy played with one particular peer, his communicative performance seemed to improve. Contrary to the others, this peer tried to take the perspective of the subject, adjusting his play and conversation to that of the boy and keeping up a dialogue with him. Pragmatic difficulties may explain some of the socio-emotional problems of the boy, with implications for practice in kindergarten.