Which of the following students is demonstrating characteristics most often associated with a pragmatic language disorder?

The characteristics associated with a pragmatic language disorder primarily involve difficulties in using language effectively in social contexts. This includes challenges with conversational norms, such as understanding conversational turns, topic maintenance, and nonverbal cues.

The fourth-grade student demonstrating difficulty in understanding conversational turns effectively illustrates this disorder, as they struggle to participate appropriately in dialogue, which is a key component of pragmatics. Pragmatic language skills enable individuals to interpret and enact the social rules of communication, and those who have a pragmatic language disorder often have trouble with aspects such as taking turns in conversations or responding appropriately to others.

In contrast, while the other options depict various communication challenges, they are not specifically indicative of pragmatic language disorders. The third-grade student’s struggle with phonetic spelling relates more to phonological processing or literacy skills rather than pragmatic communication. The fifth-grade student’s tendency to avoid group conversations could stem from a range of factors, including social anxiety, but does not directly describe a pragmatic language issue. Lastly, the second-grade student who frequently interrupts others may demonstrate impulsivity or difficulty with self-regulation in conversation rather than a specific deficit in understanding the complexities of conversational exchanges.