Effects of Bilingual Language Exposure on Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Author Information
Author(s): Sarah Phillips, Amelia Yanchik, Heather Jung, Peter Vietze, Leah Esther Lax
Primary Institution: Montclair State University
Hypothesis
Older toddlers would perform better on the language, cognitive, and social-emotional portions of the assessment compared to younger toddlers.
Conclusion
Bilingualism does not delay language development in children with ASD, and older bilingual children may even perform better than their monolingual peers.
Supporting Evidence
- Older bilingual children scored higher on language measures than older monolingual children.
- Children with ASD performed lower than typically developing children on cognitive measures.
- Bilingualism did not yield a significant main effect on cognitive performance.
Takeaway
This study shows that speaking two languages at home doesn't hurt kids with autism; in fact, older kids who speak two languages might do better than those who only speak one.
Methodology
The study used the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development to assess language, cognitive, and social-emotional development in toddlers with ASD.
Potential Biases
The sample was a convenience sample, which may introduce selection bias.
Limitations
The study did not consider the socioeconomic status of participants, which may impact outcomes.
Participant Demographics
Participants included 412 toddlers aged 15 to 35 months, with a majority being New York State Medicaid-eligible and from diverse backgrounds.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p=0.005
Confidence Interval
95%
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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