Bilingualism Does Not Hinder Speech Development - Even for Autistic Children

By Tiny Sprouts Therapy l Where We Grow and Play

At Tiny Sprouts Therapy in Long Beach, CA, we proudly support multilingual families and autistic children with care, connection, and confidence while serving families across nearby communities.

---

🌿 Understanding the Concern

Many families are told that exposing their child to more than one language might delay or confuse their speech development. This fear often intensifies when the child is autistic, a late talker, or receiving early intervention. But research tells a different story. At Tiny Sprouts Therapy, we want you to know: bilingualism is not a cause of speech or language delay. In fact, language exposure in more than one language can be a strength.

📚 What the Research Shows

Bilingual children are just as capable of developing strong communication skills as monolingual children. Their language milestones may look a bit different depending on their exposure, but their overall development stays within typical ranges.

• Paradis (2010) explains that bilingual children with or without language difficulties can learn multiple languages successfully. Learning more than one language does not cause confusion or delay.

• Genesee, Paradis, and Crago (2004) found that bilingual children reach language milestones within the expected age range, just like monolingual children.

• The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) supports the position that children can acquire more than one language at the same time without harm, and that doing so does not lead to a speech or language disorder.

🤎 Bilingualism in Autistic Children

Families of autistic children are often told to focus on just one language, but that advice is not evidence-based. Limiting a child to one language can reduce opportunities for meaningful connection with family and culture.

• Kay-Raining Bird et al. (2012) found that autistic children exposed to two languages show language development outcomes similar to their monolingual peers. There was no evidence that bilingualism negatively affects autistic children's speech or language abilities.

• Hambly and Fombonne (2012) also showed that bilingual autistic children demonstrate strengths in areas like attention switching and social engagement, suggesting potential cognitive benefits from bilingual exposure.

• A review by Uljarevic et al. (2016) concluded that being raised bilingual does not disadvantage autistic children and may even promote flexibility in communication.

🧸 Why It Matters

Language is deeply tied to culture, identity, and emotional connection. When children are told to use only one language, it can lead to separation from their heritage and family members who speak that language.

Supporting bilingualism means:

• Maintaining strong family bonds

• Preserving cultural identity

• Promoting emotional regulation and confidence through familiar input

• Providing more language input overall, which supports brain development

🌈 Our Approach at Tiny Sprouts Therapy

At Tiny Sprouts Therapy, we believe that every language your child hears is valuable. We understand that bilingualism does not hinder speech development. We honor multilingual families and support communication in the languages that are most natural and meaningful to you.

Here is how we support bilingual families:

• We assess your child’s communication across both languages when appropriate

• We never ask families to give up their home language

• We offer strategies that work for your everyday routines, whether they happen in English, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, or any other language spoken in your home

• We celebrate neurodivergent communication in all its forms—spoken, gestural, scripted, AAC-based, or multilingual

🌻 Bilingualism Does Not Hinder Speech Development - Final Thoughts

Bilingualism does not cause speech delays. It does not create confusion. And it is not something families need to give up—especially not autistic families. Language is how children connect with the people who love them most. Let’s support that, in every language.

If you're looking for support for your bilingual or multilingual child in Long Beach or surrounding areas, we're here to help. Reach out to Tiny Sprouts Therapy, where we grow and play—together.

Citations

• Paradis, J. (2010).Paradis, J. (2010). The interface between bilingual development and specific language impairment. Applied Psycholinguistics, 31(2), 227–252. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716409990373

• Genesee, F., Paradis, J., & Crago, M. B. (2004).Genesee, F., Paradis, J., & Crago, M. B. (2004). Dual language development and disorders: A handbook on bilingualism and second language learning. Paul H. Brookes Publishing.

• ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association).American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d.). Learning more than one language. Retrieved from https://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/Bilingual-Children/

• Kay-Raining Bird, E., Lamond, E., & Holden, J. (2012).Kay-Raining Bird, E., Lamond, E., & Holden, J. (2012). Survey of bilingualism in autism spectrum disorders. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 47(1), 52–64. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-6984.2011.00071.x

• Hambly, C., & Fombonne, E. (2012).Hambly, C., & Fombonne, E. (2012). The impact of bilingual environments on language development in children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42(7), 1342–1352. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1365-z

• Uljarevic, M., Katsos, N., Hudry, K., & Gibson, J. L. (2016).Uljarevic, M., Katsos, N., Hudry, K., & Gibson, J. L. (2016). Practitioner Review: Multilingualism and neurodevelopmental disorders – An overview of recent research and discussion of clinical implications. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 57(11), 1205–1217. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12596