Evolution of communicative competence through pragmatic intervention in language delay: case study

Abstract

The present work describes the efficacy of pragmatic evaluation and intervention in a case of language delay due to childhood brain damage. The speech therapy intervention adopted a theoretical framework of functional cognitive psycholinguistics and focused on enhancing pragmatic communication skills by stimulating interactive pragmatic categories in natural conversational contexts. The communicative orientation of the turns, the predictability, the communicative effectiveness and pragmatic ability (general, specific and grammatical), have been monitored through the PREP-R (Protocolo Rápido de Evaluación Pragmática revisado. Definitely, it have been analyzed the elements that make up the communication act in order to establish the patient's specific communication profile and to propose a functional intervention adjusted to the needs of the case.