Abstract
The practice of advising bilingual parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to speak in a single language, often the majority language of the region, with their child with ASD seems to be common. Such advice, however, is not grounded on empirical evidence but appears to be based more on logical arguments and assumptions. In this commentary, fears surrounding dual language exposure and empirical evidence supporting bilingualism in children with ASD are discussed. Suggestions for future research and three key steps that clinicians can consider taking to better address the needs of diverse learners are provided.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aguilar, J., Chan, J., White, P., & Fragale, C. (2017). Assessment of the language preferences of five children with autism from Spanish-speaking homes. Journal of Behavioral Education, 26(4), 334–347. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-017-9280-9.
Aguilar, J. M., White, P. J., Fragale, C., & Chan, J. M. (2016). Preference for language of instruction of an English language learner with autism. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 19(3), 207–210. https://doi.org/10.3109/17518423.2015.1044133.
American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th edn.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2016). Cultural diversity in Australia, 2016. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/2071.0~2016~Main%20Features~Cultural%20Diversity%20Article~20.
Birdsong, D., Gertken, L. M., & Amengual, M. (2012). Bilingual language profile: An easy-to-use instrument to assess bilingualism. COERLL, University of Texas at Austin.
Charlop-Christy, M. H., Carpenter, M., Le, L., LeBlanc, L. A., & Kellet, K. (2002). Using the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) with children with autism: Assessment of PECS acquisition, speech, social-communicative behavior, and problem behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 35, 213–231. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2002.35-213.
Dalmau, Y. C. P., Wacker, D. P., Harding, J. W., Berg, W. K., Schieltz, K. M., Lee, J. F., … Kramer, A. R. (2011). A preliminary evaluation of functional communication training effectiveness and language preference when Spanish and English are manipulated. Journal of Behavioral Education, 20, 233–251. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-011-9131-z.
Drysdale, H., van der Meer, L., & Kagohara, D. (2015). Children with autism spectrum disorder from bilingual families: A systematic review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2, 26–38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-014-0032-7.
Eurostat (2015). Foreign language skills statistic. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Foreign_language_skills_statistics.
Ganz, J. B., Davis, J. L., Lund, E. M., Goodwyn, F. D., & Simpson, R. L. (2012). Meta-analysis of PECS with individuals with ASD: Investigation of targeted versus non-targeted outcomes, participant characteristics, and implementation phase. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 33, 406–418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2011.09.023.
Ganz, J. B., Earles-Vollrath, T. L., Mason, R. A., Rispoli, M. J., Heath, A. K., & Parker, R. I. (2011). An aggregate study of single-case research involving aided AAC: Participant characteristics of individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5, 1500–1509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2011.02.011.
Gevarter, C., O’Reilly, M. F., Kuhn, M., Mills, K., Ferguson, R., Watkins, L., Sigafoos, J., Lang, R., Rojeski, L., & Lancioni, G. E. (2016). Increasing the vocalizations of individuals with autism during intervention with a speech-generating device. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 49, 17–33. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.270.
Giovagnoli, G., Postorino, V., Fatta, L. M., Sanges, V., De Peppo, L., Vassena, L., … Mazzone, L. (2015). Behavioral and emotional profile and parental stress in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 45–46, 411–421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2015.08.006.
Greenberg, A. L., Tomaino, M. E., & Charlop, M. H. (2014). Adapting the Picture Exchange Communication System to elicit vocalizations in children with autism. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 26, 35–51. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-013-9344-2.
Hambly, C., & Fombonne, E. (2012). The impact of bilingual environments on language development in children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42, 1342–1352. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1365-z.
Hambly, C., & Fombonne, E. (2014). Factors influencing bilingual expressive vocabulary size in children with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 8, 1079–1089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2014.05.013.
Hampton, S., Rabagliati, H., Sorace, A., & Fletcher-Watson, S. (2017). Autism and bilingualism: A qualitative interview study of parents’ perspectives and experiences. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 60, 435–446. https://doi.org/10.1044/2016_JSLHR-L-15-0348.
Happé, F. (2015). IMFAR 2015: The state of the science in autism research. Retrieved August 8, 2017, from https://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/2015/05/12/imfar-2015-state-science-autism-research.
Hudry, K., Rumney, L., Pitt, N., Barbaro, J., & Vivanti, G. (2017). Interaction behaviors of bilingual parents with their young children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 0, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2017.1286592.
Jegatheesan, B. (2011). Multilingual development in children with autism: Perspectives of South Asian Muslim immigrant parents on raising a child with a communicative disorder in multilingual contexts. Bilingual Research Journal, 34, 185–200. https://doi.org/10.1080/15235882.2011.597824.
Kay-Raining Bird, E., Lamond, E., & Holden, J. (2012). Survey of bilingualism in autism spectrum disorders. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 47, 52–64. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-6984.2011.00071.x.
Koegel, R. L., & Koegel, L. K. (2006). Pivotal response treatments for autism: Communication, social & academic development. Baltimore, MD: Paul H Brookes Publishing.
Kremer-Sadlik, T. (2005). To be or not to be bilingual: Autistic children from multilingual families. In J. Cohen, K. McAlister, K. Rolstad, & J. MacSwan (Eds.), Proceedings of the 4th international symposium on bilingualism (pp. 1225–1234). Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Press.
Lang, R., Rispoli, M., Sigafoos, J., Lancioni, G., Andrews, A., & Ortega, L. (2011). Effects of language of instruction on response accuracy and challenging behavior in a child with autism. Journal of Behavioral Education, 20, 252–259. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-011-9130-0.
Larocci, G., Hutchison, S. M., & O’Toole, G. (2017). Second language exposure, functional communication, and executive function in children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47, 1818–1829. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3103-7.
Laski, K. E., Charlop, M. H., & Schreibman, L. (1988). Training parents to use the natural language paradigm to increase their autistic children’s speech. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 21, 391–400. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.1988.21-391.
Lerna, A., Esposito, D., Conson, M., & Massagli, A. (2014). Long-term effects of PECS on social–communicative skills of children with autism spectrum disorders: Afollow-up study. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 49, 478–485. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12079.
Lerna, A., Esposito, D., Conson, M., Russo, L., & Massagli, A. (2012). Social–communicative effects of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) in autism spectrum disorders. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 47, 609–617. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-6984.2012.00172.x.
Lund, E. M., Kohlmeier, T. L., & Durán, L. K. (2017). Comparative language development in bilingual and monolingual children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review. Journal of Early Intervention, 39, 106–124. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053815117690871.
Marian, V., Blumenfeld, H. K., & Kaushanskaya, M. (2007). The language experience and proficiency questionnaire (LEAP-Q): Assessing language profiles in bilinguals and multilinguals. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 50(4), 940.
Marian, V., & Shook, A. (2012). The cognitive benefits of being bilingual. Cerebrum: The Dana forum on brain science (Vol. 2012). Dana Foundation.
NIH. (2017). Cultural respect. Retrieved August 15, 2017, from https://www.nih.gov/institutes-nih/nih-office-director/office-communications-public-liaison/clear-communication/cultural-respect.
Ohashi, J. K., Mirenda, P., Marinova-Todd, S., Hambly, C., Fombonne, E., Szatmari, P., … Thompson, A. (2012). Comparing early language development in monolingual- and bilingual- exposed young children with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 6, 890–897. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2011.12.002.
Paradis, J. (2011). Individual differences in child second language acquisition: Comparing child-internal and child-external factors. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism, 1(3), 213–237bib>
Parish-Morris, J., Hennon, E. A., Hirsch-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., & Tager-Flusberg, H. (2007). Children with autism illuminate the role of social intention in word learning. Child Development, 78, 1265–1287. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01065.x.
Pesco, D., MacLeod, A., Kay-Raining Bird, E., Cleave, P., Trudeau, N., de Valenzuela, J., … Verhoeven, L. (2016). A multi-site review of policies affecting opportunities for children with developmental disabilities to become bilingual. Journal of Communication Disorders, 63, 15–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomdis.2016.05.008.
Petersen, J. M., Marinova-Todd, S. H., & Mirenda, P. (2012). Brief report: An exploratory study of lexical skills in bilingual children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42, 1499–1503. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1366-y.
Pierce, N. P., O’Reilly, M. F., Sorrells, A. M., Fragale, C. L., White, P. J., Aguilar, J. M., & Cole, H. A. (2014). Ethnicity reporting practices for empirical research in three autism-related journals. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44, 1507–1519. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2041-x.
Reber, M. (2012). The autism spectrum: Scientific foundations and treatment. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Reetzke, R., Zou, X., Sheng, L., & Katsos, N. (2015). Communicative development in bilingually exposed chinese children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research, 58, 813–825. https://doi.org/10.1044/2015_JSLHR-L-13-0258.
Ryan, C. (2013). Language use in the United States: 2011: American Community Survey Reports. Retrieved August 8, 2017, from https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acs-22.pdf.
Schlosser, R. W., & Wendt, O. (2008). Effects of augmentative and alternative communication intervention on speech production in children with autism: A systematic review. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 17, 212–230. https://doi.org/10.1044/1058-0360(2008/021).
Seung, H., Siddiqi, S., & Elder, J. H. (2006). Intervention outcomes of a bilingual child with autism. Journal of Medical Speech-Language Pathology, 14, 53–63.
Sigafoos, J., Didden, R., & O’Reilly, M. F. (2003). Effects of speech output on maintenance of requesting and frequency of vocalizations in three children with developmental disabilities. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 19, 37–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/0743461032000056487.
Traxler, M. J. (2012). Introduction to psycholinguistics: Understanding language science. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
Trottier, N., Kamp, L., & Mirenda, P. (2011). Effects of peer-mediated instruction to teach use of speech-generating devices to students with autism in social game routines. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 27, 26–39. https://doi.org/10.3109/07434618.2010.546810.
Turner, V., & Spears, C. (2011). Rising to new heights of communication and learning for children with autism: The definitive guide to using alternative-augmentative communication, visual strategies, and learning supports at home and school. London; Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Valicenti-McDermott, M., Tarshis, N., Schouls, M., Galdston, M., Hottinger, K., Seijo, R., … Shinnar, S. (2013). Language differences between monolingual English and bilingual English-Spanish young children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Child Neurology, 28, 945–948. https://doi.org/10.1177/0883073812453204.
van der Meer, L. J., & Rispoli, M. (2010). Communication interventions involving speech-generating devices for children with autism: A review of the literature. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 13, 294–306. https://doi.org/10.3109/17518421003671494.
Vaughn, J. L. (2013). An evaluation of English versus Spanish language choice during conversation training intervention for children with autism (Doctoral dissertation, University of California-Santa Barbara). Retrieved from ProQuest. (Order No. 3612044.).
Wingate, M., Kirby, R. S., Pettygrove, S., Cunniff, C., Schulz, E., Ghosh, T., … Wright, V.; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 8 years—Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 sites, United States, 2010. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 63, 1–21.
Yu, B. (2013). Issues in bilingualism and heritage language maintenance: Perspectives of minority-language mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 22, 10–24. https://doi.org/10.1044/1058-0360(2012/10-0078).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
All individuals who meet authorship criteria are listed as authors, and all authors certify that they have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for the content, including participation in the conception, planning, interpretation, writing, and/or revision of the manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
Nataly Lim, Mark F. O’Reilly, Jeff Sigafoos and Giulio E. Lancioni declares that they have no conflict of interest.
Research Involving Animal and Human Rights
This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lim, N., O’Reilly, M.F., Sigafoos, J. et al. Understanding the Linguistic Needs of Diverse Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Some Comments on the Research Literature and Suggestions for Clinicians. J Autism Dev Disord 48, 2890–2895 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3532-y
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3532-y