Effects of English versus heritage language on play in bilingually exposed children with autism spectrum disorder

It's our job to bridge the gap: Perspectives of bilingual autism providers on heritage language care

LAY ABSTRACT

In the United States, many people have heritage languages they speak in their homes other than English, such as Chinese or Spanish. Autistic children whose families speak different languages could benefit from support and teaching in their heritage languages. Still, caregivers have reported that it is challenging to do so. Many autism professionals make suggestions that are not based on research. To date, researchers have not examined the perspectives of the small group of bilingual professionals in the United States who provide bilingual support for autistic children. Therefore, this study explored how bilingual autism providers in the United States talked about their work, bilingualism, and the impacts their bilingual work has on autistic children and families. The bilingual providers in this study reported many positive outcomes for autistic children when they can learn and use their heritage languages and some negative outcomes when providers cannot communicate in the same language. Recommendations from this study highlight the need to recruit more bilingual providers in the field of autism.

I'm One Person, I Can't Be Everywhere: Challenges and Needs of Bilingual Behavior Analysts

Autistic children from Spanish-speaking homes are part of a growing group of children at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities. Research suggests a "bilingual advantage" exists, similar to that experienced by neurotypical bilingual children, and autistic adults report positive social outcomes due to being bilingual. However, much less is known about providers' experiences who play a crucial role in whether families can maintain their heritage language(s) with their children. This exploratory qualitative study examined ethical challenges and needs of U.S.-based bilingual behavior analysts who provide home-based support for autistic children from Spanish-speaking homes. This study was informed by a demographic questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with participants (N = 14) across the United States. Participants' experiences were analyzed thematically. Findings included major themes and subthemes including challenging ethical experiences and behavior analysts' needs to provide high quality services. Implications are presented across the organizational, provider, and research and higher education levels.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40617-024-00916-2.

The impact of educational and medical systems on autistic children from multilingual American homes: A systematic review

LAY ABSTRACT

Research has found that autistic children can navigate multilingual schools and communities without harming their language skills or school success. However, they may encounter specific challenges within the United States, where educational and healthcare systems are insufficiently equipped to meet their needs. This review examined 46 US-based studies on the topic and findings reveal persistent deficit-based ideas about multilingualism and autism (e.g., professionals recommending that autistic students only speak and learn in English) accompanied by patterns of unequal identification of autism among multilingual children. These findings highlight issues of disproportionality and inadequate access to educational and healthcare resources. However, recent studies indicate that incorporating a child's native language in education not only enhances learning and behavioral outcomes but also boosts cognitive functions like problem-solving and planning. Taken as a whole, current research suggests that intentionally addressing linguistic diversity will allow educational and medical systems to better serve autistic children.

Who’s waiting for a school? Rates, socio-demographics, disability and referral profile of children with autism spectrum disorder awaiting school placement in the Western Cape Province of South Africa

In this study, we examined the demographic, disability, referral and service needs profile of children with autism spectrum disorder waiting for school placement in the Western Cape Province of South Africa and combined our findings with those of a previous study on children with autism spectrum disorder attending schools in the province over the same period of time. In June 2016, there were 744 children with autism spectrum disorder or suspected autism spectrum disorder waiting for an appropriate school placement, 478 children were pre-school age and 266 children were school-going age. Fifty-three percent (53%) of pre-school age children and 38% of school-going age children were reported to be at home and receiving no educational or other intervention while they waited for a school. More than half the children on the waiting list had been waiting for services for more than a year. The combined data on children with autism spectrum disorder in school and waiting for schools showed a total of 1684 known children with autism spectrum disorder in the Western Cape in June 2016, representing less than 0.1% of the childhood population in the province. The results highlight the need for education systems strengthening to accommodate all children with autism spectrum disorder in appropriate educational settings from as early as possible. We propose multi-stakeholder engagement to develop contextually appropriate policies, best practice guidelines and actions for the education of children with autism spectrum disorder in South Africa.

Lay abstract

In South Africa, there are limited educational opportunities for children with autism spectrum disorder and many children with autism spectrum disorder have to wait for school placement. This study examined the education waiting list for children with autism spectrum disorder in the Western Cape Province of South Africa and reported on the demographic, disability, referral and service provision characteristics of these children. In June 2016, there were 744 children with definite autism spectrum disorder or possible autism spectrum disorder between the ages of 1 and 17 years waiting for school placement. There were children of compulsory school-going age who were reported to be at home and not receiving any intervention while they waited. More than half the children on the waiting list had been waiting for more than a year. We then combined the findings of this study with the findings of a previous study on children with autism spectrum disorder already attending schools in the province over the same period of time. We found a total of 1684 children known to have autism spectrum disorder – this was less than 0.1% of all young people in the province at the time. Between 2012 and 2016, there was a 276% increase in the number of children with autism spectrum disorder waiting for schools in the Western Cape. The results show that education systems in the Western Cape need to be strengthened to accommodate all children with autism spectrum disorder in appropriate education settings from as early as possible. We recommend engaging with different stakeholders to develop policies, best practice guidelines and actions for autism spectrum disorder education in South Africa.

Increasing Access and Quality of Behavior-Analytic Services for the Latinx Population

Latinxs are the largest minority group in the United States, making up approximately 18% of the total population. Although there is a critical need for the behavioral health care system, including behavior analysts, to provide services to support the needs of the Latinx community, access to quality behavioral and mental health services continues to be lacking for the Black, Indigenous, and people of color populations. This article highlights some of the cultural and language factors that should be considered by behavior-analytic providers who have a shared responsibility to make culturally and linguistically appropriate services available to this population. Additionally, recommendations for systemic action across service providers, professional organizations, behavior-analytic training programs, and researchers are suggested to address these barriers. Recommendations for bringing about this systemic change are suggested across three domains: (a) increasing diversity in the behavior-analytic workforce, (b) enhancing training in cultural- and language-related issues, and (c) conducting research on cultural and language adaptations to behavior-analytic evidence-based treatments.

Guidance for Behavior Analysts in Addressing Racial Implicit Bias

In the practice of applied behavior analysis (ABA) treatment, implicit bias, which can be defined in behavioral terms, needs to be addressed because it may inadvertently lead to overt forms of discrimination on the basis of race. Although little research has been conducted within the field of ABA on racial implicit bias, information gathered from related fields can provide insight as to how behavior analysts can promote positive change in this area. Drawing from existing literature, recommendations are provided regarding assessment and administration of interventions to reduce racial implicit bias for clinicians. The purpose of this article is to provide strategies that behavior analysts can implement to assess and reduce behaviors related to implicit bias exhibited by practitioners, thereby reducing racial discrimination with clients and staff.

Multilingual Diversity in the Field of Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism: A Brief Review and Discussion of Future Directions

This review addresses multilingual diversity within the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) as it relates to treatment for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The United States was founded as a diverse, multicultural "melting pot" and migration patterns continue to increase cultural and linguistic diversity, making it increasingly important to address these issues within the field of ABA. The role of multilingualism in ABA treatment for autism has scarcely been addressed in practice or in research and yet these factors likely impact the ABA treatment process significantly. The purpose of this review is to discuss how multilingualism might be better addressed within the field of ABA. We briefly review the very small amount of existing research on multilingual approaches when using ABA and discuss directions for future research. In addition, we discuss potential future directions for the field, in terms of increasing the number of international students in graduate programs, enhancing diversity curricula within graduate programs and continuing education, and efforts by professional organizations to address diversity.