Practitioners' perspectives and experiences of supporting bilingual pupils on the autism spectrum in two linguistically different educational settings

Abstract

With greater linguistic diversity in educational settings around the world as a result of international migration, and a rise in autism diagnoses, educators are more frequently teaching children who are both neurodiverse and linguistically different to their peers. The aim of the present study was to uncover the perspectives and experiences of educational practitioners who provide support for bilingual learners on the autism spectrum in two linguistically different educational settings: England and Wales. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 practitioners (5 teachers, 4 teaching assistants, 3 special educational needs coordinators and 1 speech and language therapist) working in mainstream schools. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), which seeks to illuminate participants' lived experience. Three superordinate themes were extracted from the data: (1) perspectives on bilingualism in autism; (2) comparisons across two linguistically different settings; (3) creating inclusive learning environments. The results demonstrate that practitioners had concerns about the feasibility of bilingualism for some autistic pupils, and argued that exposure to two languages may have a negative impact on their development. Future research should focus on finding effective ways to identify and support learning needs among bilingual pupils to ensure that children who are 'doubly different' from their peers not only have access to educational provision, but also have opportunities to harness and celebrate their differences.

“It’s Like Stealing What Should be Theirs.” An Exploration of the Experiences and Perspectives of Parents and Educational Practitioners on Hebrew–English Bilingualism for Jewish Autistic Children

“…Based on previous research and suggested sample sizes for phenomenological studies (Guest, Bunce, & Johnson, 2013 ; Howard et al, 2019b , 2020a , b ; Morgan et al, 2002 ), we aimed to recruit 15 practitioners and 15 parents.…”

“…Forced monolingualism may also impair communication between monolingual children and bilingual parents and family, which undermines the child’s ability to interact and build relationships with immediate and extended family (Beauchamp & MacLeod, 2017 ; Kremer-Sadlik, 2005 ; Yu, 2013 ). Furthermore, such recommendations are not sensitive to the aspirations of bilingual parents, who often desire that their autistic children attain bilingual ability (Howard, Gibson, & Katsos, 2020a ; Howard, Katsos, & Gibson, 2020b ; Kay-Raining Bird et al, 2012 ; Yu, 2013 ). The present research answers calls for further research on parental and practitioner perspectives on bilingualism among autistic children in specialist schools and in more diverse linguistic contexts (Howard, Katsos, & Gibson, 2019b , 2020a , b ; Howard, Katsos, & Gibson, 2020c ).…”

“…Furthermore, such recommendations are not sensitive to the aspirations of bilingual parents, who often desire that their autistic children attain bilingual ability (Howard, Gibson, & Katsos, 2020a ; Howard, Katsos, & Gibson, 2020b ; Kay-Raining Bird et al, 2012 ; Yu, 2013 ). The present research answers calls for further research on parental and practitioner perspectives on bilingualism among autistic children in specialist schools and in more diverse linguistic contexts (Howard, Katsos, & Gibson, 2019b , 2020a , b ; Howard, Katsos, & Gibson, 2020c ). Outcomes of children in specialist schools, in terms of their quality of life and inclusion, differ markedly from those in mainstream schools.…”

Autistic People's Access to Bilingualism and Additional Language Learning: Identifying the Barriers and Facilitators for Equal Opportunities

“…In England, at least one in five pupils has English as an additional language, and this number is steadily rising (Leung, 2010 ; Department for Education, 2018 ). Despite this, a recent interview study with UK-based educators supporting autistic bilingual children (Howard et al, 2021 ) showed that although educators hold positive views about bilingualism, opinions vary greatly when it comes to autistic pupils. Many reported not recommending bilingualism for all autistic children, and this was predominantly based on the child's language abilities and autism profile.…”

“…Monolingual educators, particularly those in monolingual environments, may underestimate the link between bilingualism, identity and inclusion, and a greater linguistic and cultural diversity amongst educators could help them better understand the experiences and needs of their autistic bilingual pupils (Yu and Hsia, 2019 ). Additionally, including dedicated training would help address some of the misconceptions expressed by educators (Iadarola et al, 2015 ; Howard et al, 2021 ) who often have limited experience with autistic bilingual pupils.…”