Social Communication

Social Communication: what is this? How can it change after brain injury?

Social communication is one of the most important aspects of the communication process. It refers to the unspoken ways and rules for how we use language in different situations and with different people. ^2,7 This can be particularly important for someone living in a volatile environment.

Social communication also has three parts:

1. Communicating for different reasons, such as:
   1. Greetings
   2. Informing others about what we’re doing
   3. Demanding; Telling others what we need from them
   4. Promising; Telling others what you will do in the future
   5. Requesting; Making requests of another person
2. Changing our communication style for the listener or situation, such as:
   1. Talking differently to a friend than to a co-worker
   2. Giving more information to someone who does not know the topic. Knowing to skip some details when someone already knows the topic.
   3. Talking differently at work than at a party
3. Following rules for conversations and storytelling, such as:
   1. Taking turns talking in conversation.
   2. Letting others know the topic when you start talking
   3. Staying on topic
   4. Trying another way of saying what you mean when someone does not understand
   5. Using gestures and body language, like pointing or shrugging
   6. Knowing how close to stand to someone when talking
   7. Using facial expressions and eye contact

Sometimes people with a brain injury have difficulty with aspects of social communication. They may not pick up on the subtle cues another person gives them. They may not understand jokes or sarcasm or have difficulty reading emotion on someone else’s face. They may say the wrong thing or act the wrong way when talking. They may laugh at the wrong time or start talking about something else.

They may only have limited topics of conversation, or they may talk too much. They may not say hello, goodbye, or thank you. They may demand or yell instead of asking for what they want.

While these social communication difficulties can make the other person feel uncomfortable, it’s important to understand that they are not doing this on purpose. They may need help learning about their communication and how to change it.

It’s also important to recognize that these social communication challenges can make the person vulnerable to abuse or exploitation because they may misinterpret another person’s intentions.