Exposing a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to more than one language in the home : is it beneficial?

Abstract

There is currently little research that addresses the effects of dual language exposure on the language abilities of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The purpose of this study was to compare the language abilities of children with ASD who are exposed to predominantly one language at home to the language abilities of children with ASD who are exposed to two relatively equal proportions of languages at home. 60 children diagnosed with ASD between the ages of three and five, participated in this study. The children were divided into two language groups: the one-dominant-language exposed group and the balanced exposure language group, based on the parents’ answers given in the consent forms and the questionnaires. Information relating to the child’s language background was obtained through a parental questionnaire. The participants’ pre-verbal skills were assessed during free-play using the Rossetti-Infant Toddler Language Scale (Rossetti, 2006), while their receptive and expressive language skills were assessed using the Mac-Arthur Bates Communicative Development Inventory: Words and Gestures (Fenson, Marchman, Thal, Dale & Reznick, 2007) and the Maltese adaptation of the Mac-Arthur Bates Communicative Development Inventory: Words and Sentences (Gatt, 2010). An interview was also conducted with five of the participants’ parents who were randomly selected from the sample. The balanced exposure language group showed better developed pointing, imitation and symbolic play than the one-dominant-language exposed group. The receptive and expressive vocabulary scores were comparable across both language groups. Findings from the interviews indicated that the majority of the parents feared that dual language exposure will confuse their child and delay their language further. Findings also indicated that while some professionals did not discourage dual language exposure, other professionals advised parents to expose their child to only one language so as to avoid further language delays.