A Study on the Relationship between Pragmatic Language Development and Socioeconomic Status in Arab Preschoolers with and without Pragmatic Language Impairment

Abstract

The scope of this study is threefold. First, it examines socioeconomic status (SES) and pragmatic language development (PLD), hypothesizing that parental education and employment levels are mediators, where SES affects PLD mainly through its influence on parental education and employment levels. Second, we used quantitative (age) and qualitative (gender) variables as moderators, hypothesizing that gender and age moderate the relationship between classroom interaction (CI), social interaction (SI), and personal interaction (PI) skills and level of PLD. Third, characteristics of PLD in preschoolers with and without pragmatic language impairment (PLI) are compared. The Arabic Pragmatic Language Skills Inventory (A-PLSI) was administered by preschool teachers and speech-language pathologists in Saudi Arabia to 264 preschoolers with and without neurodevelopmental disorders to assess their PLD. Additionally, the SES of the parents of the same number of participants was surveyed. Results show that the more CI, SI, and PI a preschool child has, the greater the likelihood of typical PLD, regardless of the parents’ employment or education. Further, we obtained evidence that CI, SI, and PI all grow together with age. However, these three elements (namely, CI, SI, and PI) do not seem to be moderated or altered by gender. Typical PLD may be attainable when preschool children demonstrate typical mental and physical development, in contrast to children with psychiatric histories who display atypical PLD. These findings suggest that preschool children with more CI, SI, and PI will exhibit more typical PLD. The achievement of this goal results in a sustainable society for children.