A child with ASD who has difficulties in identifying what or whom he is discussing is said to have what type of impairment?

• A. Cognitive inflexibility
• B. Pragmatic impairment
• C. Emotional detachment
• D. Visual processing disorder

Answer: (B)

The scenario describes a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who struggles to identify the subject or individuals in conversations, which indicates challenges in communication and social interaction. This aligns directly with pragmatic impairment. Pragmatics refer to the social rules of language, including the ability to use language in context, understand social cues, and engage in meaningful conversations. A child experiencing pragmatic impairment may have difficulty understanding who is involved in a discussion or what context the conversation pertains to, leading to challenges in effective communication.

Pragmatic skills are crucial for successful interaction and include knowing how to take turns in conversation, maintaining topic coherence, and understanding implied meaning or non-verbal cues, all of which can be particularly challenging for individuals with ASD. Therefore, identifying this child's difficulty as a pragmatic impairment underscores the importance of these skills in social communication.