How Multilingualism Enhances Cognitive Abilities in Children with Autism?
A new UCLA study highlights the cognitive benefits of raising multilingual children, especially for those with autism, improving communication, flexibility, and behavioral control.
Watan–Mastering multiple languages for children is not difficult, and in addition, many previous studies have demonstrated the benefits of multilingualism for children and emphasized the importance of parents paying attention to their child’s linguistic development. However, a new American study has reached new findings.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Health Sciences and published in the journal Autism Research, indicated that multilingualism in children, particularly those with autism, can improve overall cognitive functions of the brain, reduce some symptoms of autism, and enhance control over daily thoughts and behaviors.
By analyzing the behaviors of children monitored during the study period, it was found that autistic and non-autistic children from multilingual families generally demonstrated stronger cognitive functions, including better focus, understanding others’ perspectives, communication, and reduced repetitive behaviors, compared to children from monolingual families.
Dr. Lucina Oden, the study’s lead author, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UCLA, and director of the Neurocommunication and Cognition Lab at the university, stated: “It has become clear that speaking multiple languages, whether for individuals with autism or not, is associated with improved self-regulation, better flexibility in task-switching, and enhanced ability to understand others’ perspectives.”
These cognitive skills are linked to those that a multilingual child is compelled to use during speech. Oden added: “If you have to manage two languages, you must suppress one to use the other, meaning that inhibitory and control skills are strengthened by knowing two or more languages.”
Additionally, speaking more than one language has a positive impact on some core symptoms of autism, leading to improved communication, reduced repetitive behaviors, and enhanced skills in understanding others’ viewpoints.
While some parents may worry that their children speaking multiple languages could contribute to delayed language learning, Oden emphasizes that this is not true. In fact, learning multiple languages offers numerous long-term benefits for children.
