Charting the impact of bilingualism for autistic children

This project focused on language learning in autistic children and how bilingualism can impact on various aspects of their lives.

In a nutshell

animated image depicting bilingual child

This study aimed to better understand the impact of bilingualism on cognitive skills, cultural identity, societal inclusion and quality of life for autistic children.

About the project

When this project started, there was little research addressing how bilingualism might impact autistic people. Many parents and practitioners were concerned about the potentially harmful effects of bilingualism on development

We collected longitudinal data from bilingual children in order to understand the influence of bilingual exposure on changes in cognitive development in children with and without autism. We visited children and their families at home to measure aspects of cognitive development using standardised measures, eye-tracking and bespoke questionnaires.

In the end, 110 families participated in the first timepoint, and 75 of those families were also able to take part at the second timepoint. This was great because the study overlapped a lot with the covid-19 pandemic. 

In a second follow-up study, we created a novel interview tool, primarily for practitioners to elicit the experiences of autistic bilingual children as part of their assessments with children and families. The tool focused on socio-cultural factors where bilingualism can make a difference, such as family cohesion, school relationships, friendships and cultural identity.

In two related PhD research projects, running alongside this work, we also explored autistic adults' reflections on bilingualism and multi-lingualism; and we looked at bilingualism amongst autistic children in the United Arab Emirates. 

Outputs

This research was combined with other projects and resulted in the creation of a whole host of resources to support parents, autistic children and young people, and practitioners - especially speech & language therapists. You can download the resources in multiple languages at the link below. 

Academic Outputs

Here is a list of academic publications from our Centre, related to this research

General Research
Research with Families in the UK
Research with Adults
Research with children in the UAE

Funder

Economic and Social Research Council

FIRAH

Key Contact

Dr Rachael Davis  

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