What Does Social Communication Disorder Look Like? Signs

26 May What Does Social Communication Disorder Look Like? Signs

Communication is the tool people use to build relationships among themselves, obtain education, and conduct day-to-day life.

However, for those suffering from social communication disorder (SCD), communication often becomes a challenge.

SCD strains a person’s ability to use both verbal and non-verbal means of interaction in relevant social situations, hence the person’s difficulty connecting with and working with others in such a context.

In this blog, we will look at SCD, its signs, causes, and effective strategies for support for those affected.

This is an important neurodevelopmental disorder that needs more attention and understanding.

What Is A Social Communication Disorder?

Social Communication Disorder is considered as a neurological disorder that makes it harder for a person to use social language well and in the right way in different situations.

It is specific to the social aspect of communication and includes, but is not limited to the following…

• Understanding Social Norms: Not present for a person who recognizes and follows the rules of social interactions, such as turn-taking in conversation or maintaining appropriate personal space.
• Adapting Language to Context: Difficulties in adjusting language according to the context, such as having a formal input in the discussion in a company and a more familiar expression while with friends and some family.
• Engaging in Conversations: Difficulty initiating, sustaining, or concluding conversations. Stays on the topic or responds to utterance cues in the right ways.

How Common Is Social Communication Disorder: Prevalence

Social Communication Disorder (SCD) is a new type of diagnosis that came out in 2013.

Because there hasn’t been much research and the rules for diagnosing it can be different, it’s hard to know how common it is.

Here are some important points about how common it is:

• Official Recognition: SCD was first officially recognized as a distinct diagnosis in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). For some time prior, it was often considered to be misdiagnosed altogether or associated with other developmental disorders.
• Prevalence Rates: SCD is a new diagnostic entity. Research thus is still in progress to find the accurate prevalence rates of such a condition. Preliminary studies indicated that this condition is recently discovered more in children rather than in adults.
• Overlap with Other Disorders: Several cases of SCD co-exist with some forms of other developmental disorders or neurological disorders, like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), etc. Therefore, isolating the particular case of SCD becomes more difficult.
• Impact on Daily Life: The incidence of SCD shows that detection and intervention at early stages are important because the condition may have a considerable impact on academic performance, social relationships, and the general quality of life.

Social Communication Disorder vs autism

When exploring neurodevelopmental conditions, Social Communication Disorder and autism often come up in the same conversation due to their overlapping features.

However, Is Social Communication Disorder autism?  or, Is SCD a form of autism?

The answer is no—while both conditions involve challenges with social communication, they are distinct diagnoses with unique characteristics.

In this section, we’ll clarify how does social communication disorder differ from autism, shedding light on their features, diagnostic criteria and interaction to help foster better understanding.

1: Core Features:

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD):

People with ASD often show behaviors like repeating hand movements and organizing objects. They may also have strong interests in specific topics.

These features define aspects of autism and have been excluded in SCD.

Social Communication Disorder (SCD):

The point of the SCD has to do strictly with pragmatic and social communication.

There is nothing concerning disappearance or restriction with it, and that’s how SCD is different from ASD.

2: Diagnostic Criteria:

ASD:

The diagnostic criteria for autism establish that it includes problems with social communication as a core characteristic.

It also includes behavior, like sensory sensitivities or the performance of specific rituals.

SCD:

SCD, on the other hand, clearly specifies and defines its criteria exclusively for social and pragmatic use without touching on the wide spectrum of developmental as well as behavioral.

3: Social Awareness and Interaction:

ASD:

People with autism often struggle with understanding social situations and find it hard to interact with others.

They might want to talk but may not look others in the eye, have trouble understanding how people feel, or prefer to be alone.

SCD:

Some people may not be good at speaking or understanding language, which means they might miss important clues like the mood or setting when talking.

For example, they might not notice hints if they don’t pay attention to body language in different situations.

However, these people do not share the withdrawal or symptoms of these behaviors.

It’s important to know how social communication disorder is different from autism for correct diagnosis and treatment.

This helps people get the right support they need.

Social Communication Disorder Symptoms

The symptoms of Social Communication Disorder manifest as difficulties in the use and understanding of social language and interaction norms.

Below, each symptom is described clinically, paired with examples of what does Social Communication Disorder look like in real-world settings to illustrate how these deficits impact daily interactions across different ages and contexts.

1: Difficulty Adapting Language to Social Settings:

Such individuals have a great deal of trouble altering their speech in accordance with the context or audience.

They may realize formal language is necessary for professional environments, yet at times fall into the use of overly informal speech in structured entities – for instance, the classroom.

That inability to change one’s mode of communication would cause misunderstandings or make an individual appear as if they are socially awkward.

2: Difficulty With Understanding Non-Verbal Signals:

Non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, gestures, and body language are equally important in human interactions.

It is very common for a person with SCD not to take in or misinterpret nonverbal cues.

For example, they would not know when a person is bored or worse, upset with the conversation untouched by such cues making it unproductive or inappropriate.

3: Difficulty in Managing the Conversation:

Every conversation has a to-and-fro cycle in which such features as turn-taking, remaining on topic, and matched responses are required.

Some people interrupt others, take over the whole conversation, or struggle to keep a talk going between two people once it has started.

Staging would cause an amount of frustration in both people.

4: Limited Ability to Interpret Figurative Language:

SCD hinders understanding abstract language, idioms, sarcasm, and metaphors.

For example, a child might take phrases such as it’s raining cats and dogs, literally.

This inability to understand such concepts may give rise to confusion and also generally hinder effective communication.

5: Poor Narrative Skills:

People suffering from SCD find it particularly difficult to tell stories or explain their ideas/events.

Most probably, they give half-baked and unorganized details, which make it challenging to follow until the end of a narrative.

It can affect performance levels in academics as well as relationships since this trait defines communication ability in both cases.

What Causes Social Communication Disorder?

As of the present time, no one can say exactly how social communication disorder (SCD) comes about.

It appears to have both genetic and environmental contributory causes to its eventual development.

An enumeration and detailed description of these causes are given below:

Genetics

Genetic factors are said to be significantly contributory to the development of SCD.

If there’s a family genetic history of any language or communication disorder, the affected individual is most likely going to manifest the SCD.

For example, if someone has family members who struggle with talking or other communication issues, that person might also have a higher chance of having speech and communication difficulties (SCD).

This is often because of a part of the brain that is linked to how we understand social and language signals, which can lead to the issues seen in people with SCD.

Neurological:

This is a neurological basis for SCD: abnormal development of the brain, especially in the communication and social areas.

The prefrontal cortex, a region in the brain that deals with social norms and management of interpersonal interaction, may be operating differently in SCD subjects.

These features might affect the individual in recognizing social cues, using language appropriately, and overall doing meaningful communication.

Environmental Influences:

Environmental factors in early childhood may prompt the expression of SCD.

Not having many chances to interact with others, like being alone or not having friends to talk to, can make it hard for a child to learn social language skills.

Other childhood experiences, like not getting enough attention or easy communication from parents, can also affect how a child learns to handle social situations.

Developmental Conditions:

Commonly associated with other developmental disorders, SCD includes Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), language delay, or learning difficulty.

For example, children with ADHD might act without thinking or have trouble focusing.

This can make it hard for them to join in conversations, which can make their social communication difficulties worse.

The presence of these coexisting conditions complicates diagnosis and treatment because the symptoms may overlap or mask each other.

How To Diagnose Social Communication Disorder?

Social Communication Disorder (SCD) is diagnosed by finding out exactly where a person has problems with communication.

To do this, doctors need to make sure that other conditions with similar symptoms are not causing the issues.

The evaluation involves a team of experts, like speech therapists, psychologists, and children’s doctors.

Below is a detailed explanation of the whole process.

1: Observation

• Importance of Observation: By watching someone in different places, we can see how good their social communication skills are and what challenges they face.
• Process of Evaluation: This observation involves looking at how a person interacts with friends, family, teachers, or co-workers.

Some examples of behaviors that are assessed:

• Conversational Turn-Taking: the ability to take turns in a conversation while maintaining the flow without interruption
• Using Non-Verbal Cues: to appropriately understand and respond to gestures, facial expressions, and body language.
• Language Adaptation: changing the way a person talks in different social settings, such as speaking differently in the classroom than when speaking with friends.

Observations might be made in a certain structured environment, say, in a class, or at an informal gathering.

2: Standardized Tests

Goals of standardized tests: Standardized tests can measure weaknesses and understand social communication skills for a patient.

Results have shown that these tests can help the psychologist see how serious the disorder is and what effects can be seen.

Types of Social Communication Disorder Test

• Pragmatic Language Test: Individual proficiencies for social language use.
• Children’s Communication Checklist: Descriptions of social communication aspects, including conversational coherence, understanding sarcasm, and interpreting indirect speech.
• Others External Tool Assessment, Which Includes Competences Related to Narrative Skills and Understanding Figurative Language.

Why Testing is Important:

• There is cause to have a comprehensive framework to analyze the capabilities of the individual house.
• Specifically addresses difficulties pertaining to conversation maintenance, idiom interpretation, or meaningful gesture use.

3: Development History

Reasons to Review History: Looking closely at a person’s past helps us understand when and how their social communication problems started and developed.

Key Areas of Focus:

• Milestones: Completing important steps in development, like saying first words and forming first sentences, can show early signs of delays or problems.
• Social Interactions: Examples of past interactions can help understand behavior patterns, like avoiding group activities or having trouble starting conversations.
• Language Development: Note any delays in speech, issues with understanding language, or a very small vocabulary in childhood.

Role of Caregivers:

• Parents, guardians, or caregivers are interviewed to share observations and provide examples of everyday communication challenges.
• Caregivers’ input helps professionals understand how the disorder affects the individual’s social and family life.

4: Exclusion of Other Disorders

Ensuring the Accuracy of a Diagnosis: Since SCD is associated with many symptoms, the professionals cross-examine the cases to ensure that the symptoms are those of SCD.

Differentiating From Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD):

• Both SCD and ASD have problems with social communication, but ASD also shows other signs like repeating actions or focusing on specific interests, and being sensitive to senses, while SCD does not show these signs.
• For example, a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder might concentrate on one topic and miss social hints, while a person with SCD has more trouble using language correctly but does not show these specific behaviors.

Ruling Out Other Conditions:

• Language Disorders: People with language disorders may have more trouble with grammar or vocabulary than with the social communication problems seen in SCD.
• Hearing Impairments: A hearing test can help show if communication problems are caused by hearing loss.
• Neurological Disorders: We should think about and rule out conditions like intellectual disabilities or brain injuries that can affect communication if the symptoms don’t match.

Importance of a Comprehensive Evaluation

• The diagnosis helps understand a person’s communication problems.
• It finds out what they are good at and where they struggle, so experts can create a plan to help improve their communication skills.
• By watching the person, giving tests, looking at their past, and ruling out other issues, experts aim to give a clear diagnosis of SCD. Then, everyone works together to plan the right treatment.

Social Communication Disorder Treatments

How to treat Social Communication Disorder? Treatment for Social Communication Disorder (SCD) is personalized to help people improve their social language skills and how they interact with others.

This treatment involves teamwork from speech-language therapists, family members, teachers, and the community, creating a good place for learning.

Here is a detailed look at the treatment process.

1: Speech and Language Therapy

a) Role of Speech-Language Therapists:

Speech-languages therapists are the main professionals who create tailored programs that address specific difficulties of an individual affected by SCD.

These programs are aimed to provide skills in pragmatic aspects of communication such as understanding context to keep conversations going under certain social norms.

b) Therapeutic Activities:

Activities on role plays simulate different social situations, like greeting someone or taking part in group discussions.

Exercises on storytelling build narrative skills in organizing and sharing experiences in coherent fashion.

Interactive games center on turn-taking, sarcasm recognition, and attuning the speech to whom the listener is.

c) Focus on Engagement:

Therapist sessions should keep the individual engaged and have an interactive feel.

They involve the interests of the individual in learning.

2: Social Skills Training

a) Objective of training:

Social Skills Training provides individuals with the opportunity to create practice sessions to learn and develop skills that relate to social interactions in real-life contexts.

Key Areas of Focus:

• Nonverbal Communication: Understand and look at different parts of nonverbal communication, like facial expressions, body movements, gestures, and how voice sounds.
• Building Relationships: Activities that help make friends and can boost confidence in starting and keeping social connections.
• Adjusting Behavior in Different Contexts: Learning how to change behavior and ways of talking depending on the situation, such as being more formal in one place and more friendly in another.

b) Advantages of Group Training:

Group sessions provide a safe environment for individuals to interact with peers.

Participants can practice skills like sharing, turn-taking, and resolving conflicts while receiving immediate feedback.

c) Family:

Moreover, family members act as vital reinforcers of communication skills learned in therapy sessions.

Therapists also work with the families by explaining the nature of the problem and suggesting to them how they can support the progress of the person at home.

d) Helpful Strategies for Families:

• Showing Good Behavior: Families can show the right communication skills for the patient since daily family time helps everyone understand the condition better.
• Making Chances: Setting up playdates or social events where the child can practice their skills in a friendly setting.
• Giving Positive Feedback: Gently pointing out mistakes while praising good efforts to help build self-confidence.

e) Collaborative Efforts:

Open communication between families and the therapist and teachers has been encouraged to make sure that a single approach is adopted across every setting.

3: Collaborative Support

a) Integration Across Environments:

It is critical in using the skills acquired via therapy in the different settings of home, school, and community.

Teamwork between therapists, teachers, and caregivers helps in ensuring that all strategies have common use in supporting social communication skills.

b) Role of Educators:

Seating arrangements in classrooms encouraging peer interactions or school group activities to promote teamwork are proved strategies by teachers, among others.

Classroom adjustments like visual supports and prompts could help persons with SCD further navigate social situations.

c) Community Involvement:

Being in extracurricular activities, sports, or community events leads to extra chances for real-time application of social skills.

4: Technological Aids

a) Technological Advancements:

The technology has shown to be useful in managing SCD therapy to help make learning social skills more enjoyable.

Examples of Tech-Based Tools:

• Social Scenario Apps: These applications simulate real-life situations and allow users to practice appropriate responses to different social situations.
• Interactive Games: Programs help individuals that are learning to recognize non-verbal cues in their social communication, such as the differences in emotion through facial expression.
• Feedback technology: Many of these apps have instant feedback so that people can learn from their mistakes and improve.

b) Availability and Comfort:

These can be used both at home and during Social Communication Disorder Therapy, allowing for more flexibility and opportunity to practice.

5: General Principles for Effective Treatment

• Patience and Consistency: Developing social communication skills takes time and effort. Those helping these children need to be patient and keep trying.
• Customized Approaches: Each person with social communication difficulties has their own unique challenges. So, treatment should be tailored to meet each person’s specific needs and strengths.
• Encouraging Developments: Small achievements can boost confidence and encourage progress.
• Supportive Environment: In a caring and understanding setting, individuals can practice their skills comfortably.

Conclusion

Social Communication Disorder (SCD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that significantly impacts how individuals navigate social interactions, often leading to challenges in forming relationships, succeeding academically, or thriving professionally.

The condition can thrive in an individual’s life, preventing them from carrying out average daily exchanges, but with early detection and adequate treatment, the results can be enriched significantly.

With therapy, family support, and remedial measures, individuals will develop skills necessary to survive in social settings.

Awareness and inclusion guarantee that people with SCD understand and receive appropriate support.

For those seeking expert guidance, consulting a professional like Dr. Vivek Pratap Singh, the best neuropsychiatrist in Patna Bihar in who has specialized in neurodevelopmental disorders, and can provide personalized support and tailored interventions.

Visit Dr. Vivek Pratap Singh to explore comprehensive assessments and strategies to address SCD effectively.