Imagine a world where speaking multiple languages opens doors to diverse cultures and fosters crucial cognitive skills, especially in autistic children. A recent study from UCLA Health has unveiled some groundbreaking findings that could reshape our understanding of bilingualism and its impact on young minds.

Unlocking Cognitive Potential

The study, published in the journal Autism Research, highlights that multilingualism not only enhances general cognitive abilities but also helps reduce specific symptoms of autism. This means that speaking multiple languages can bolster control over daily thoughts and actions in both autistic and non-autistic children.

Parents of children in multilingual households reported that their kids displayed more executive functions—such as better focus, understanding others’ perspectives, and communication—than children in monolingual households. These children also showed reduced levels of repetitive behaviours, a common challenge in autism.

The Science Behind the Findings

Leading the research, Dr. Lucina Uddin, a UCLA Health Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences Professor, pointed out that juggling two languages enhances crucial cognitive skills. For instance, knowing multiple languages improves inhibition, which is suppressing irrelevant actions or distractions. It also boosts flexibility in thinking and the ability to take different perspectives.

The study initially recruited over 100 children, both autistic and non-autistic, aged 7 to 12, from monolingual and multilingual households. Most multilingual families spoke Spanish and English at home. Parents assessed their children on various executive functions, including:

• Inhibition: Suppressing irrelevant actions or distractions.
• Working Memory: Remembering information like phone numbers.
• Shifting: Switching between different tasks.

Parents also evaluated core autism-related abilities, such as understanding different perspectives, social communication, and repetitive behaviours.

Remarkable Results

The results were striking—multilingualism was linked to better inhibition, shifting, and perspective-taking skills in children, regardless of their autism status. This means that speaking multiple languages not only aids in general cognitive development but also explicitly addresses some core challenges autistic children face.

“If you have to juggle two languages, you must suppress one to use the other. That’s the idea, that inhibition might be bolstered by knowing two languages,” Dr. Uddin explained.

Moreover, multilingualism positively affected core symptoms of autism, resulting in improved communication, reduced repetitive behaviours, and enhanced perspective-taking skills.

A Glimpse of the Future

Despite concerns among some parents that multilingualism might delay language development in autistic children, the evidence so far suggests no negative impacts—only potential long-term benefits. Dr. Uddin emphasized, “The big takeaway is we don’t see any negative effects of speaking multiple languages in the home. It’s beneficial to celebrate all the languages associated with your culture.”

Building on these findings, the study is set to expand, recruiting around 150 children with autism. The expanded research will include more comprehensive executive function, language tests, and brain imaging.

For more information about the study and how to participate, visit UCLA Brain Connectivity and Cognition Laboratory.

In Conclusion

Multilingualism holds the potential to unlock new avenues of cognitive development and symptom management for autistic children. Parents can provide their children with invaluable tools for a brighter future by celebrating and embracing multiple languages at home.