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Purpose: Research into how bilingual parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) make choices about their children's language environment is scarce. This study aimed to explore this issue, focusing on understanding how bilingual parents of children with ASD may make different language exposure choices compared with bilingual parents of children without ASD.
Method: Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with 17 bilingual parents with a child with ASD and 18 bilingual parents with a typically developing (TD) child.
Results: Thematic analysis revealed that, in contrast to parents of TD children, parents with a child with ASD expressed concerns that a bilingual environment would cause confusion for their child and exacerbate language delays. This was particularly common for parents of children with lower verbal ability. Parents also identified potential benefits of bilingualism, particularly in terms of maintaining a close and affectionate bond with their child.
Conclusions: Parents of children with ASD have concerns about bilingualism not present for parents of TD children, and these concerns are greater for parents of children with lower verbal ability. Future research in this area should take into account factors such as parent-child bonds as well as communication and language development.
Bilingualism, which can be defined as the use of two or more languages, is a prevalent phenomenon worldwide (Grosjean, 2010) and a growing practice in the United Kingdom (Edwards, 2011). There is a sizeable literature reporting either cognitive benefits of bilingualism during typical development (Barac & Bialystok, 2011) or an absence of negative consequences on aspects of language such as onset of speech (Holowka, Brosseau-Lapré, & Petitto, 2002). Despite this, parents of typically developing (TD) children sometimes express reservations that bilingualism may cause confusion and hinder their child's linguistic development (Dorner, 2010).
These concerns may be exacerbated for parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, there is a scarcity of research investigating how bilingualism might interact with such conditions. ASD is characterized by challenges in social communication and interaction and by restricted, repetitive behaviors and interests (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Children with ASD often experience language difficulties, with some remaining nonverbal into adolescence and beyond (Howlin, Savage, Moss, Tempier, & Rutter, 2014; Kjelgaard & Tager-Flusberg, 2001). For those who acquire language, delay in...