What It Captures
The protocol organizes ratings across verbal, paralinguistic, and nonverbal pragmatic behavior areas, with examples tied to specific parameters.
Pragmatic Protocol (Prutting & Kirchner)
Pragmatic Protocol (Prutting & Kirchner) is a conversation-sample pragmatic-language taxonomy for speech-language pathologists, DHH professionals, and clinical researchers. It helps clinicians rate 30 pragmatic parameters from spontaneous or video-recorded interaction as appropriate, inappropriate, or not observed so strengths and weaknesses can be reviewed by behavior area.
Open the sample protocol and try rating fictional parameters by area.
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Tool guide
Learn more about this tool
Use this background section to understand when the tool fits, how practitioners use it, and what to consider before sharing it with clients.
Why Not Observed Matters
A behavior marked not observed is different from an inappropriate behavior and different from an unrated parameter.
Relevant Limits
The tool does not create new parameters, transform ratings into unsupported scores, diagnose, or generate goals.
Is not observed the same as inappropriate?
No. Not observed means the sample did not provide an opportunity or evidence for that parameter; inappropriate is a rating of observed behavior.
Can comments replace ratings?
No. Comments can support a parameter rating, but they do not substitute for required ratings when a completed profile is needed.
Does the demo save sample ratings as client data?
No. Saving keeps the tool and reusable configuration only; fictional ratings and sample comments are discarded as demo data.
Does the Pragmatic Protocol generate a diagnosis?
No. It creates a structured pragmatic behavior profile from observed conversation and does not generate diagnostic conclusions.