Mental Development in Children With Autism Benefits from Multilingualism

Summary: Kids in multicultural communities, including those with autism, demonstrate stronger administrative functions, such as suppression, freedom, and perspective-taking, compared to multilingual peers. Speaking more than one language also helps to prevent recurring behaviors and improve connection, which are important factors in autism.

No proof of developmental delays in language learning is found in the studies, suggesting that managing two languages improves cognitive power. To fully understand the full effect of bilingualism on cognitive and social capabilities, researchers intend to expand the research, which will also include brain imaging.

Important Information:

Enhanced Cognitive Skills: Bilingual children show better suppression, freedom, and perspective-taking.
• Benefits of pluralism for dementia: It speeds up communication and lessens recurring actions in autistic children.
• No Delays Found: Speaking many languages shows no adverse effects on speech development.

Origin: UCLA

A recent study from UCLA Health adds to the growing body of research on the mental benefits of speaking many languages. It found that multilingualism may help both children with autism and those who have autism, as well as help with some of their daily symptoms and behaviors. &nbsp,

The&nbsp, study, published in the journal&nbsp, Autism Research, found parents of autistic and non-autistic babies in multicultural households reported their children had stronger total executive functionality, including the ability to concentrate, understand other people’s perspectives, contact and reduced levels of repeated behaviors, compared to children in mono-lingual households. &nbsp, &nbsp,

” It turns out that speaking many languages, whether or not you have a treatment of dementia, is associated with better suppression, better shifting or flexibility, and even better viewpoint taking ability”, said study lead author Dr. &nbsp, Lucina Uddin, a UCLA Health Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences Professor and Director of the UCLA Brain Connectivity and Cognition Laboratory. &nbsp,

More than 100 autistic and non-autistic children between the ages of 7 and 12 were enrolled in the study, which was first conducted at the University of Miami. They were drawn from both monolingual and multilingual households. The majority of multilingual households were able to communicate in both Spanish and English.

Parents were asked to assess their child’s ability to perform executive functions, which are frequently impacted by autism spectrum disorder. Skills assessed included: &nbsp,

• Inhibition: the ability to suppress doing something irrelevant or get distracted. &nbsp,
• Working memory: the ability to keep something in mind, such as remembering a phone number. &nbsp,
• Shifting: the ability to switch between two or more different tasks, such as playing with toys and cleaning up after. &nbsp,

Parents were also asked to assess the ability to comprehend diverse perspectives, social interaction, and repetitive behaviors as well as some of the main traits that autism affects. &nbsp, &nbsp,

According to the findings of the survey, multilingualism is linked to improved perspective-taking, shifting, and inhibition skills in both children with and without autism. &nbsp, &nbsp,

” If you have to juggle two languages, you have to suppress one in order to use the other. That’s the idea, that inhibition might be bolstered by knowing two languages”, Uddin said. &nbsp,

Speaking more than one language also had a positive impact on some of autism’s fundamental traits, according to Uddin, leading to improved communication, less repetitive behaviors, and better perspective-taking abilities. &nbsp, &nbsp,

Speaking more than one language may cause parents of autistic children to be concerned about delays in their child’s development in terms of language learning, according to Uddin. However, she said the evidence so far has suggested no negative impacts and possible long-term benefits. &nbsp, &nbsp,

The main takeaway is that speaking multiple languages in the home doesn’t have any negative effects, according to Uddin.

” It’s actually beneficial to celebrate all the languages associated with your culture” .&nbsp,

From these findings, Uddin is expanding the study and addressing limitations. More executive function, language tests, brain imaging, and other tests will be included in the new study, which will enroll about 150 children with autism. &nbsp,

For information about the study and to participate, visit&nbsp, https: //www. semel. ucla. edu/bccl&nbsp,

About this news about autism research and language.

Author: Will Houston
Source: UCLA
Contact: Will Houston – UCLA
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News

Original Research: Open access.
” Multilingualism impacts children’s executive function and core autism symptoms” by Lucina Uddin et al. Autism Research

Abstract

Multilingualism impacts children’s executive function and core autism symptoms

Autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) is associated with marked heterogeneity in executive function ( EF ) abilities. EF components including inhibition and shifting are related to ASD core symptoms such as perspective taking, social communication, and repetitive behavior.

Recent research suggests that multilingualism may improve EF abilities, particularly in children with ASD. However, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the relationships between multilingualism, EF, and core symptoms in children with ASD.

Here, we examined these associations in 7–12-year-old children with and without ASD ( N = 116, 53 ASD, Mean age = 9.94 years ). Results suggest that multilingual children have stronger parent-reported inhibition, shifting, and perspective-taking skills than monolingual children.

Additionally, we discovered that multilingual status and diagnosis had a significant impact on inhibition, making children with autism and those who are typically developing ( TD ) children more susceptible to the effects of multilingualism.

Finally, we found indirect effects of multilingualism on perspective taking, social communication, and repetitive behaviors mediated by EF skills.

These results demonstrate how enhancing EF and reducing ASD-related symptoms might be impacted by multilingual experience.