Parental Survey on Spanish-English Bilingualism in Neurotypical Development and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities in the United States

Abstract

Objectives The cognitive and social benefits of bilingualism for children, including those with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs), have been documented. The present study was designed to characterize and compare English and Spanish use in Hispanic families with and without NDDs residing in the U.S. as well as to understand parental perceptions of their child’s bilingualism and of community and professional support. Methods We conducted an online survey of 84 Spanish-speaking parents of 4- to 24-year-olds with (n = 44) and without NDDs (n = 40) who were born in and living in the U.S. Results We found that bilingualism was a desired goal for 95% of our families. We also found, however, that 17.1% of parents of children with NDDs have raised them as monolinguals English-speakers, as they thought there were reasons for that, while all families from the NT group raised their children in both languages. In addition, nearly 40% of the NDD children only speak English, compared to a 5% in the NT group. Finally, parents of children with NDDs cite a lack of support for bilingualism in the community (47.6% do not feel supported, compared to a 7.9% in the NT group) and recommendation from professionals as major factors for not raising their children as bilingual. Conclusions The results suggest a need to educate professionals from many disciplines about the benefits of bilingualism for children with NDDs and for implementation of inclusion policies that provide access to dual-language programs.

Field Experiences in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE): Preparing Teachers for Success in Diverse Early Education Settings

“…The EC/ECSE workforce has not been adequately prepared or equipped to address the diverse educational needs of young children from linguistically minoritized groups, such as young emergent bilinguals (EBs) with disabilities or developmental delays (DDs) (Birth-Age 8) (Kea & Trent, 2013;Martínez-Alvaréz, 2019). For instance, research indicates that EC/ECSE educators continue to predominantly teach in English only and provide families with recommendations that may be biased or discriminatory, like prioritizing the English language only and eliminating the use of the home language (del Hoyo Soriano et al, 2023). Very few EC/ECSE educators feel or are equipped to teach young EBs with disabilities or DDs (Wang & Woolf, 2015).…”