Multilingual Environment and Social Communication in Autism

Project Overview

This study examined how multilingual environments influenced the social communication skills of minimally speaking autistic children. Since linguistic diversity is inherently linked to cultural diversity, exposure to multiple languages provided children with varied social contexts, potentially supporting their social communication development. However, much of the existing research focused on monolingual settings, which may have led to misconceptions about how multilingual exposure affected autistic children’s communication abilities. The goal of this study was to identify factors that shaped the social communication development of minimally verbal autistic children in multilingual settings. It specifically investigated how the linguistic backgrounds of parents from India and the United States related to their children’s social communication skills. Grounded in the socio-cultural theory of learning, the study hypothesized that children raised in multilingual households might demonstrate stronger social communication skills compared to those in monolingual households. Data were analyzed from a sample of 70 minimally verbal autistic children from India and the U.S. The findings revealed significant associations between all aspects of social communication and the linguistic backgrounds of parents. Specifically, as the number of languages spoken by parents increased, concerns regarding their children’s social communication abilities decreased. These results aligned with the hypothesis that multilingual parents might have exposed their children to a broader range of social interactions, thereby fostering social communication skills. This study underscored the potential advantages of parental multilingualism and the role of linguistically diverse environments in supporting social communication development. The researchers emphasized the need for further investigation to replicate these findings and gain deeper insights into the dynamics of multilingual environments..

Roles and Responsibilities 

As the first author, I led all aspects of data dissemination in collaboration with researchers from the University of Massachusetts, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the Department of Education. My responsibilities included:

• Developing research questions and hypotheses specific to multilingualism and social communication

• Identifying and implementing an appropriate data analysis plan, including cross-linguistic comparisons

• Conceptualizing the publication’s framework to effectively communicate findings

• Conducting literature reviews to contextualize results within multilingual and developmental disability research

• Synthesizing qualitative and quantitative findings to ensure a comprehensive interpretation

• Leading a team of early-career and student researchers, providing mentorship and guidance throughout the writing process

• Drafting and refining the manuscript to ensure clarity and coherence

• Collaborating with co-authors to incorporate feedback and revise the manuscript

• Preparing figures, tables, and supplementary materials to illustrate key findings

• Overseeing the journal submission and revision process, including addressing reviewer comments

• Presenting and disseminating findings through academic conferences and publications

Publications (in preparation)

Suswaram, S., Gross, M.C., Huang, S. & Jenkins. K (Under review). Multilingualism as a Developmental Asset in Minimally Speaking Children on the Autism Spectrum: A Cross-National Study of India and the US. Bilingual Research Journal

Presentations

Suswaram, S., Gross, M., Jenkins, K., & Jimenez., A. (March, 2023). Multilingual Environments and Social Communication Development in Minimally Verbal Autistic Children. Meeting on Language in Autism (MoLA)