Graduation Year

2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Psychology

Major Professor

Kathy Bradley-Klug, Ph.D.

Co-Major Professor

Emily Shaffer-Hudkins, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Lisa M. Lopez, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Robert Dedrick, Ph.D.

Keywords

dual language learners, bilingualism, early childhood, language development, developmental disabilities

Abstract

The rates of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD; Center for Disease Control [CDC], 2019) and bilingual individuals are rapidly increasing in the United States (Zeigler & Camarota, 2019). Yet, research on the global development of bilingual children with ASD is limited. Despite the lack of research in this vein, educators and clinicians are tasked with the assessment and intervention planning for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) children with ASD (Dilly & Hall, 2019). There are mixed findings regarding the effect of bilingual exposure on the development of adaptive, social, communication, and cognitive skills of children with ASD (e.g., Hambly & Fombonne, 2012; Valicenti-McDermott et al., 2012). Research is needed in order to better understand the role that language exposure (i.e., monolingual or bilingual) plays in the overall development of children with ASD. In order to address this gap in the literature, the present study examined the extent to which language exposure (i.e., monolingual or bilingual) is related to the adaptive, social, communication, and cognitive skills of toddlers with ASD. Secondary data from 30 toddlers with ASD collected between 2019-2021 by a local Part C early intervention program were analyzed. The sample included 19 male and 11 female toddlers between 31-35 months of age (Mdn= 33 months). The toddlers were being raised either monolingually (N= 21) or bilingually (N = 9). The children were administered the Battelle Developmental Inventory-2nd Edition (BDI-2; Newborg, 2005) to measure their development of cognitive, adaptive, social, and communication skills. Based on previous research on adaptive, social, communication, and cognitive development of bilinguals with ASD, monolingual and bilingual toddlers with ASD were expected to be equally proficient across these skills. That is, nonsignificant differences between the two groups were expected and would indicate that bilingual language exposure does not negatively impact their development. First, a series of multiple regressions was conducted for the BDI-2 domain and Cognitive subdomain scores with language exposure (i.e., monolingual or bilingual) as the independent variable, while controlling for sex (i.e., male or female). Next, a series of multiple regressions was conducted for the discrete early communication skills. Although this study was underpowered, results from this study were similar to prior research demonstrating that bilingualism does not harm or delay the adaptive, social, communication, and cognitive development of toddlers with ASD. Implications from this study are discussed to improve the practice of clinicians and researchers who work with young children with ASD.

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