ABSTRACT
In order for communication to be successful, the speaker needs to be aware of what the listener does and does not know about the subject. It is typical for very young children to assume that their listener knows what they know (eg if talking about an event, they will assume the listener knows where they were, who they were with, that they have a sister, and so on). As they grow older they understand that they need to provide the listener with more information and to give a clear context. Children with social communication difficulties are slower in developing these skills and some may never fully achieve them.
