Perspectives and Experiences of Autistic Multilingual Adults: A Qualitative Analysis

Abstract

Background: The combined experience of autism and bilingualism is poorly understood, leading to poor support for autistic people in multilingual environments or those interested in languages. While most available studies focus on the language and cognitive profiles of autistic bilinguals, or on the experiences of parents, little is known about the lived experiences of autistic multilinguals. Methods: To address this question, this study examined the impact of autism and multilingualism on the lives of 54 autistic multilingual adults who completed an online survey assessing the profiles of autistic bi-and multilinguals. We conducted a thematic analysis of responses to the survey's open-ended questions to explore motivations for learning languages and the perceived benefits of being both autistic and multilingual. Results: There was a wide range of language profiles in the sample, with various levels of proficiency, ages of acquisition, and learning environments. Respondents felt that being autistic can both positively and negatively influence language learning. They reported various motivating factors for the acquisition of multiple languages, including social aspects and a predisposition for language learning. Respondents reported many benefits of multilingualism, such as educational, employment, or leisure opportunities; social skills and understanding of other people; self-confidence in their own abilities; and relationships with family, friends, and the worldwide autistic community. Conclusions: Unlike previous work with autistic multilinguals involving case studies, the larger sample involved here offers valuable insight into the profiles and experiences of this overlooked population. Importantly, autistic people can experience numerous benefits from multilingualism. These findings will have implications for language education practices as well as for multilingual families and the practitioners who support them.

“The Languages That You Know Draw the Boundary of Your World”: A Thematic Analysis of the Experiences of Autistic Bilingual Adults Living in the United Kingdom

“…Indeed, many clinical practitioners still frequently advise bilingual parents to raise their children monolingually, [17][18][19] even if the rest of the family maintains their multilingualism. 20 In addition to cognitive effects, bilingualism can be highly advantageous to autistic people in terms of contribution to social development, 21 family and cultural connections, 17,19 and increased wellbeing. 22,23 Especially for autistic children growing up in bilingual families, excluding a child from a bilingual upbringing after an autism diagnosis can have negative consequences, particularly in terms of relationships and participation in activities.…”

“…The second study explored the lived experiences of autistic multilingual adults who spoke four or more languages. 21 Participants reported that bilingualism had enabled them to better understand themselves and others around them -for example introducing them to different ways of thinking -, and it provided opportunities for hobbies, travel, work, and building and maintaining relationships -for example allowing them to connect with the autistic community around the world. Taken together, these findings suggest that bilingualism comes with a plethora of benefits across socio-cultural and communicative domains.…”

Autistic People's Access to Bilingualism and Additional Language Learning: Identifying the Barriers and Facilitators for Equal Opportunities

“…While some autistic bilinguals report learning their second language at school (Digard et al, 2020), autistic students can encounter barriers to modern language learning in mainstream education. There is a dearth of research addressing best practices for additional language learning for neurodivergent students, but evidence suggests that autistic pupils are often advised not to study modern foreign languages (Essex and MacAskill, 2020), which can penalise them by limiting their education, employment, and leisure opportunities (Nolte et al, 2021). This practice stems from a misunderstanding of autistic people's abilities, and a lack of understanding of autism.…”

“…Howard et al (2019) reported that bilingual children living in multilingual environments are more positive about bilingualism than their peers in monolingual settings, especially regarding social and communication opportunities linked with bilingualism. Adults also reported that bilingualism had supported their relationships with family and friends and increased their access to hobbies and educational and employment opportunities (Nolte et al, 2021). Importantly, bilingualism had given them feelings of increased self-efficacy, self-confidence and assurance in social interactions and had helped them to better understand themselves and others.…”

Why study bilingualism in autistic people?

“…Reports from adults reinforce and extend this position, by showcasing the positive ways in which speaking multiple languages can impact quality of life. For example, qualitative data from bilingual and multi-lingual adults have shown that bilingualism had facilitated their access to interests and hobbies, as well as employment opportunities (Nolte et al, 2021). Bilingualism also broadened participants' mind-sets and contributed to increased self-confidence in social interactions (Digard et al, 2022).…”