Division of Psychology, Sociology & Education, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK.
Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Int J Lang Commun Disord. 2024 Jan-Feb;59(1):205-222. doi: 10.1111/1460-6984.12939. Epub 2023 Jul 30.
At least 25% of autistic children worldwide have the potential to grow up in a bilingual environment. However, many autistic children are being denied opportunities to access additional languages and the cultural, familial and community connections that come with this. There is little evidence identifying the barriers to language learning and access, and no research addressing the perspectives of speech and language therapists (SLTs), who are crucial in supporting parents to make informed choices about bilingualism with their child.
The aim of this research was to understand the experiences of SLTs working with autistic bilingual children, to understand the main considerations when working with families, and the opportunities and barriers for training, including the sources of information that current practice is based on.
Twelve SLTs from across the United Kingdom were recruited for this study. All participants were experienced in working with autistic bilingual children and their families (M = 7 years, range 4-23 years). Semi-structured interviews were conducted and focused on the experiences of SLTs regarding familial bilingual experiences, the effect of sociocultural factors of practice, and the extent to which practice is based on current research.
Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Three central themes were identified from the interviews: (1) participants discussed parental uncertainties as to whether they were doing the right thing for their child, (2) while participants were in support of bilingualism, they were not always confident that they were providing the right advice and found it difficult to in keep up to date with relevant, evidence-based research, and (3) participants highlighted a need to shift towards a more inclusive and culturally diverse practice.
This is the first qualitative study to understand the perspectives of SLTs working with autistic bilingual children. We identify several key difficulties in supporting access to language learning, and these findings have immediate and longer-term implications for supporting SLTs, and in turn, the children and families they support.
What is already known on the subject Research suggests that autistic children currently have fewer opportunities to maintain bilingualism compared to neurotypical peers. Despite the lack of evidence, many families remain concerned that bilingualism will have a negative impact on their child's development. To date, little is known about the perspectives of speech and language therapists (SLTs) who play a significant role in supporting the development of autistic bilingual children. This is the first study to provide an in-depth qualitative analysis of the experiences of SLTs working with autistic bilingual children and their families in the United Kingdom. What this study adds The results highlight a number of reoccurring barriers in providing optimal support: first, frequently cited concerns about bilingualism from parents that link to a lack of understanding about autism and the role of SLTs more generally. Second, SLTs do not have confidence in the assessments and tools available and described a lack of emphasis on cultural factors in practice. Many SLTs were concerned about the limited options for resources and interventions available in other languages, which could be challenging for parents who were less proficient or confident communicating in English. Third, SLTs reported having limited opportunities to keep up to date with relevant research to support their decision-making processes. What are the clinical implications of this work? These results have several important implications for practice-they highlight the need for more inclusive practices where possible, a need for more diversity within the profession and further opportunities to be provided with evidence-based advice around good practice. The results also suggest a benefit of providing accessible, evidence-based resources for parents about autism and bilingualism, to ensure that research key findings are reaching families.
全球至少有 25%的自闭症儿童有潜力在双语环境中成长。然而，许多自闭症儿童被剥夺了学习其他语言以及随之而来的文化、家庭和社区联系的机会。几乎没有证据表明语言学习和获得的障碍是什么，也没有研究解决言语治疗师（SLT）的观点问题，言语治疗师在支持父母就双语问题做出明智选择方面至关重要。
本研究旨在了解言语治疗师在与自闭症双语儿童一起工作时的经验，了解与家庭合作时的主要考虑因素，以及培训的机会和障碍，包括当前实践所依据的信息来源。
从英国各地招募了 12 名言语治疗师参加这项研究。所有参与者都有与自闭症双语儿童及其家庭合作的经验（M=7 岁，范围 4-23 岁）。进行了半结构化访谈，重点关注言语治疗师在家庭双语经验方面的经验、实践的社会文化因素的影响，以及实践在多大程度上基于当前研究。
使用反思性主题分析对数据进行了分析。访谈中确定了三个中心主题：（1）参与者讨论了父母对自己是否为孩子做了正确的事情的不确定性；（2）虽然参与者支持双语，但他们并不总是有信心提供正确的建议，并且发现很难跟上相关的循证研究；（3）参与者强调需要转向更具包容性和文化多样性的实践。
这是第一项了解与自闭症双语儿童一起工作的言语治疗师观点的定性研究。我们确定了在支持语言学习方面的几个关键困难，这些发现对支持言语治疗师具有直接和长期的影响，进而对他们支持的儿童和家庭也具有影响。
