Abstract
Pragmatic language skills are important for developing relationships with others, and for communicating with a range of interlocutors in a variety of contexts, including preschool and elementary school classrooms. Pragmatic language difficulties frequently are a primary area of disability for children diagnosed with autism, Asperger's syndrome, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, or with a history of maltreatment, but difficulty in this area also can occur for children who do not have specific developmental disabilities. Assessment is made more complex because pragmatic language skills are manifestations of social and cultural practices learned within historical process of economic, political, and cultural relations. Therefore, it is important for communication professionals to have access to user-friendly tools that can be used efficiently to produce accurate data about many areas of pragmatic language skills. This article provides the conceptual basis and analysis of a new pragmatic language assessment tool being developed for diverse populations in the preschool and early elementary school years.