October is ADHD Awareness Month
Back to the Story…
For my student, sarcasm was a minefield. He took jokes literally, responded in ways that confused peers, and then felt hurt when they pulled away. Since the pragmatic evaluation didn’t qualify him for direct services, it fell through the cracks in school — even though the struggles were real.
As his EF coach, I worked directly on these skills:
Breaking down sarcasm and humor. We practiced spotting tone, facial cues, and double meanings in TV shows and short scripts.
Role-playing. We acted out group work scenarios, pausing to reflect on what others might be thinking.
Impulse strategies. He practiced “the pause button” — waiting two seconds before speaking — to give his brain time to read the room.
Perspective-taking. We built conversations around “what do you think your classmate felt when you said that?” to strengthen his flexibility.
With time, he started noticing cues he’d always missed, and group participation became less stressful. The suspension still stung, but he began to rebuild his confidence.
Takeaways for Coaches and Educators
Don’t assume it’s only autism. ADHD + EF challenges can impact pragmatic language just as much.
Look beyond academics. A student can be bright and still deeply struggle with social communication.
Notice the EF link. If a student blurts, interrupts, or misses humor, consider inhibition, shifting, and flexibility as the drivers.
Intervene early. Even if formal evaluations don’t qualify a student for speech services, EF coaching can still target the same skills.
Final Thoughts
Pragmatic speech difficulties in ADHD can be subtle, overlooked, and sometimes dismissed because the student doesn’t “meet criteria.” But the impact on peer relationships, classroom participation, and self-esteem is very real.
As coaches and educators, we can play a crucial role in bridging that gap — teaching students to pause, shift, notice, and flex in conversations. Because when they can connect socially, they don’t just “fit in” better — they feel more confident, capable, and seen.
👉 Call to Action for Professionals: Next time you see a student missing cues, blurting, or misreading sarcasm, pause and ask: is this an executive function challenge in disguise? With the right scaffolds, you can help them build the social communication skills that evaluations might miss.
