One of the most common characteristics of autism is impaired
communication. Specifically, children with autism often have delayed language
development, and those who do speak may do so in a repetitive manner, asking
the same questions over and over or echoing words and phrases they have heard
before, such as lines from television shows. In addition, even some adults with
autism have trouble making conversation and tend to stick to topics that
interest them; they may have difficulty with the concept of give and take that
is needed for social language interaction.
As problematic as acquiring language seems to be for many with autism, one would think that trying to learn another language might be a futile effort. However, a recent study indicates that learning a second language proves beneficial to children with autism. Last month on January 23, 2018, Medical News Today published an article online entitled “Children with autism may benefit from being bilingual” written by Tim Newman. [To read this article, please click here.] Summarizing research published November 7, 2017, in the journal Child Development by Ana Maria Gonzales-Barrero and Aparna Nadig from McGill University’s School of Communication Sciences and Disorders in Montreal, Canada, this study examined the concept of “set-shifting,” or cognitive flexibility, in autism.
Cognitive flexibility deals with the ability to shift from thinking about one concept to another, which allows people to respond to changes around them. This ability to shift thoughts often proves difficult for people with autism who prefer predictable routines and schedules. However, flexible thinking is essential in developing certain skills, multitasking, and dealing with changes in life. Consequently, improving cognitive flexibility in children with autism may help their ability to learn new skills and to cope with transitions that may be challenging for them.
Previous studies have suggested that being bilingual improves certain cognitive skills, such as memory and focus. Researchers believe that switching between two languages enhances brain performance. In this particular study, the researchers wanted to see if being bilingual helped children with autism overcome difficulties in shifting their thoughts.
This research study included four groups of ten children ages 6-9, none of whom had intellectual disabilities: bilingual and typically developing, monolingual and typically developing, bilingual with autism, and monolingual with autism. These children completed tasks on computers in which they sorted objects by color then by shape. Although switching tasks is typically difficult for children with autism, those who were also bilingual did better than the monolingual children with autism. However, the researchers found that this bilingual advantage observed during the computer task was not found in daily life tasks. The researchers plan to expand their studies by following the development of these children for a few more years, and studies of more children may provide greater insight into the connection between bilingualism and cognitive flexibility.
As one of the researchers, Dr. Ana Maria Gonzales-Barrero, notes, “It is critical to have more sound evidence for families to use when making important educational and child-rearing decisions, since they are often advised that exposing a child with ASD to more than one language will just worsen their language difficulties.”
This research was especially intriguing to me because despite his difficulties in learning language, Alex has shown great interest in studying languages other than his native English. When he was a preschooler, he was fascinated by characters on the children’s television show Sesame Street who spoke Spanish. He especially showed an interest in learning how to count in other languages, so Ed taught him Spanish and French while I taught him German. When his occupational therapist discovered five-year-old Alex’s interest in other languages was a powerful motivator, she bribed him to do tasks he avoided. For example, she would teach him words in French if he would walk across a small wooden bridge or swing in the platform swing.
Wanting to expand beyond the languages his parents had learned in school, Alex found books in the library and at the bookstore that increased his knowledge of French, Spanish, and German and taught him Hebrew and Italian, which interested him. In addition, his beloved family doctor also taught him how to count in Swedish, which he found amusing. This interest in languages continued into his teens and twenties, and he was delighted when his behavioral therapist who was raised in Turkey was able to teach him how to count in Turkish. Even today, if he hears people speaking another language, he immediately notices and eagerly tries to figure out what language he is overhearing.
While I’m not certain whether Alex’s informal study of language has helped make his thinking more flexible, I do think that trying to say words in another language has made him more aware of how to pronounce words, which can be difficult for him. Maybe learning words in other languages has contributed to his phenomenal memory. Perhaps the most valuable use of his limited knowledge of various languages has been using multilingual counting as a calm down skill.
The practice of counting to ten when a person is angry is a common way to control temper. For Alex, rattling off the numbers from one to ten in English did not give him enough time to cool down when he was upset. Consequently, we had him count to ten in as many languages as he needed. Because he had to think harder to count in the other languages, this took him a bit longer to get through the counting routine. By the time he had reached “on” (ten in Turkish), he had usually shifted from being mad to being entertained by his ability to recite numbers in various languages.
Certainly, the impact of learning new languages upon flexibility of thought processes, especially in autism, merits further study. This research shows the importance of examining language acquisition as a way to help children with autism learn flexibility. With Alex, we have discovered that sometimes the most offbeat ways of helping him improve his skills often have the best results. As Alex’s beloved French-speaking occupational therapist taught us when he was little, always use his strengths to overcome his weaknesses. In this case, we are thankful that he has shown the interest and ability to learn bits of other languages that may have helped him develop skills he needs to cope with changes in life.
“There are many different languages in the world, and every language has meaning.” I Corinthians 14:10
As problematic as acquiring language seems to be for many with autism, one would think that trying to learn another language might be a futile effort. However, a recent study indicates that learning a second language proves beneficial to children with autism. Last month on January 23, 2018, Medical News Today published an article online entitled “Children with autism may benefit from being bilingual” written by Tim Newman. [To read this article, please click here.] Summarizing research published November 7, 2017, in the journal Child Development by Ana Maria Gonzales-Barrero and Aparna Nadig from McGill University’s School of Communication Sciences and Disorders in Montreal, Canada, this study examined the concept of “set-shifting,” or cognitive flexibility, in autism.
Cognitive flexibility deals with the ability to shift from thinking about one concept to another, which allows people to respond to changes around them. This ability to shift thoughts often proves difficult for people with autism who prefer predictable routines and schedules. However, flexible thinking is essential in developing certain skills, multitasking, and dealing with changes in life. Consequently, improving cognitive flexibility in children with autism may help their ability to learn new skills and to cope with transitions that may be challenging for them.
Previous studies have suggested that being bilingual improves certain cognitive skills, such as memory and focus. Researchers believe that switching between two languages enhances brain performance. In this particular study, the researchers wanted to see if being bilingual helped children with autism overcome difficulties in shifting their thoughts.
This research study included four groups of ten children ages 6-9, none of whom had intellectual disabilities: bilingual and typically developing, monolingual and typically developing, bilingual with autism, and monolingual with autism. These children completed tasks on computers in which they sorted objects by color then by shape. Although switching tasks is typically difficult for children with autism, those who were also bilingual did better than the monolingual children with autism. However, the researchers found that this bilingual advantage observed during the computer task was not found in daily life tasks. The researchers plan to expand their studies by following the development of these children for a few more years, and studies of more children may provide greater insight into the connection between bilingualism and cognitive flexibility.
As one of the researchers, Dr. Ana Maria Gonzales-Barrero, notes, “It is critical to have more sound evidence for families to use when making important educational and child-rearing decisions, since they are often advised that exposing a child with ASD to more than one language will just worsen their language difficulties.”
This research was especially intriguing to me because despite his difficulties in learning language, Alex has shown great interest in studying languages other than his native English. When he was a preschooler, he was fascinated by characters on the children’s television show Sesame Street who spoke Spanish. He especially showed an interest in learning how to count in other languages, so Ed taught him Spanish and French while I taught him German. When his occupational therapist discovered five-year-old Alex’s interest in other languages was a powerful motivator, she bribed him to do tasks he avoided. For example, she would teach him words in French if he would walk across a small wooden bridge or swing in the platform swing.
Wanting to expand beyond the languages his parents had learned in school, Alex found books in the library and at the bookstore that increased his knowledge of French, Spanish, and German and taught him Hebrew and Italian, which interested him. In addition, his beloved family doctor also taught him how to count in Swedish, which he found amusing. This interest in languages continued into his teens and twenties, and he was delighted when his behavioral therapist who was raised in Turkey was able to teach him how to count in Turkish. Even today, if he hears people speaking another language, he immediately notices and eagerly tries to figure out what language he is overhearing.
While I’m not certain whether Alex’s informal study of language has helped make his thinking more flexible, I do think that trying to say words in another language has made him more aware of how to pronounce words, which can be difficult for him. Maybe learning words in other languages has contributed to his phenomenal memory. Perhaps the most valuable use of his limited knowledge of various languages has been using multilingual counting as a calm down skill.
The practice of counting to ten when a person is angry is a common way to control temper. For Alex, rattling off the numbers from one to ten in English did not give him enough time to cool down when he was upset. Consequently, we had him count to ten in as many languages as he needed. Because he had to think harder to count in the other languages, this took him a bit longer to get through the counting routine. By the time he had reached “on” (ten in Turkish), he had usually shifted from being mad to being entertained by his ability to recite numbers in various languages.
Certainly, the impact of learning new languages upon flexibility of thought processes, especially in autism, merits further study. This research shows the importance of examining language acquisition as a way to help children with autism learn flexibility. With Alex, we have discovered that sometimes the most offbeat ways of helping him improve his skills often have the best results. As Alex’s beloved French-speaking occupational therapist taught us when he was little, always use his strengths to overcome his weaknesses. In this case, we are thankful that he has shown the interest and ability to learn bits of other languages that may have helped him develop skills he needs to cope with changes in life.
“There are many different languages in the world, and every language has meaning.” I Corinthians 14:10
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