January 29, 2025
University of Miami
A groundbreaking study from the University of Miami has revealed that speaking multiple languages can significantly enhance cognitive skills in children, particularly those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The research suggests that bilingualism may play a crucial role in improving executive functioning and perspective-taking abilities.
Led by Celia Romero, a graduate student in clinical psychology, alongside associate professor Lynn Perry, professor Michael Alessandri, and former University professor Lucina Uddin, the study examined 112 children between the ages of 7 and 12. The participants included both typically developing children and those with autism.
The findings, published in the journal Autism Research, suggest that children who spoke two or more languages demonstrated stronger executive functioning skills. These skills include impulse control and the ability to switch between tasks more effectively than their monolingual peers.
“We discovered that multilingualism is associated with improvements in executive function, which in turn is associated with improvements in autism symptoms,” said Perry. “There were hints of this in the literature before, but it was exciting to see how far-reaching those differences were in this research.”
Executive function skills are crucial for planning, focusing, remembering instructions, and managing multiple tasks. While these skills continue to develop throughout life, individuals with autism often face challenges in this area, making it harder to adapt to new situations.
The study also explored how multilingualism impacts core autism symptoms, such as perspective-taking, social communication, and restricted and repetitive behaviors.
“We also found that multilingual children have enhanced perspective-taking skills, or the ability to understand someone else’s thoughts or point of view,” added Romero.
Researchers suggest that a concept known as “Joint Activation” in neuroscience helps explain these results. The bilingual brain constantly manages two active languages, requiring frequent switching between them. This ongoing practice enhances executive control, a phenomenon referred to as the “bilingual advantage.”
The findings could have important implications for educators and parents, emphasizing the benefits of fostering bilingual environments at home and in schools. Encouraging multilingualism from an early age may offer children, not just those with autism, an advantage in cognitive flexibility, problem-solving, and social interactions.
As debates continue over the extent of the bilingual advantage, this study adds to the growing body of evidence highlighting the cognitive and social benefits of speaking multiple languages.
Led by Celia Romero, a graduate student in clinical psychology, alongside associate professor Lynn Perry, professor Michael Alessandri, and former University professor Lucina Uddin, the study examined 112 children between the ages of 7 and 12. The participants included both typically developing children and those with autism.
Research published in Autism Research showed that children who used multiple languages proved better at executive functioning abilities. These skills encompass both impulse control as well as the ability to switch between tasks while performing at a higher level compared to monolingual peers.
“We discovered that multilingualism is associated with improvements in executive function, which in turn is associated with improvements in autism symptoms,” said Perry. “There were hints of this in the literature before, but it was exciting to see how far-reaching those differences were in this research.”
Planning abilities together with focusing skills and memory storage of instructions and the capability to handle multiple responsibilities constitute essential executive function skills. Autism presents developmental obstacles when it comes to executive function skills which become harder for people with autism to adapt to new circumstances.
This research investigated how autism core symptoms respond to multilingualism with specific focus on perspective-taking abilities along with social communication performance and restricted and repetitive behavioral patterns.
Romero indicated that multilingual children develop stronger skills to understand thoughts and perspectives of others.
The neuroscience concept of “joint activation” serves as an explanation for these study results according to researchers. The bilingual brain functions with two active languages always present which demands frequent language selection. Bilingual abilities create an environment for continuous mental control composition which researchers label “bilingual advantage.”
Education professionals and parents should consider these findings since they show the value of establishing bilingual environments both inside and outside classroom settings. The early introduction of multilingual education provides advantages for children across all backgrounds including autism since it enhances their problem-solving capabilities and strengthens social interaction abilities and improves executive functions among non-autistic children alike.
