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Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders pp 1–4Cite as

Bilingualism and Language Development in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Definition

Bilingually exposed children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are those who are exposed to two languages from early ages. These children are typically being raised in bilingual families and/or bilingual communities. Bilingualism is a multidimensional characteristic that is influenced by multiple factors such as sociolinguistic context (e.g., majority or minority language), age of acquisition, and amount of exposure or usage (for children) or proficiency (for older children and adults), among others (Surrain and Luk 2017). Additionally, socioeconomic differences are linked to bilingual status in some contexts. These factors need to be kept in mind when interpreting and comparing research findings (Kay-Raining Bird et al. 2016).

Historical Background

Parents of children with ASD are commonly advised to use only one language when interacting with their children. This often stems from beliefs that bilingualism might be too challenging or confusing for the child and hinder...

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References and Reading

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Ana Maria Gonzalez-Barrero

  2. School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Aparna Nadig

Authors
  1. Ana Maria Gonzalez-Barrero
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  2. Aparna Nadig
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ana Maria Gonzalez-Barrero .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, USA

    Fred R. Volkmar

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Gonzalez-Barrero, A.M., Nadig, A. (2020). Bilingualism and Language Development in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102508-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102508-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6435-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6435-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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