Examining Neurodiversity in Bilingual Development Research: Recent Insights Through an Equity, Diversity, and...

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Neurodiversity Research
• Linguistic Studies

Background:

• Research on typically developing children shows biases in evaluating bilingual abilities, potentially leading to over/underestimation.
• These biases may also affect clinical research on neurodivergent bilingual children.
• Existing reviews suggest inequities in assessing bilingual children's language and cognitive skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• Examine bilingual neurodiversity research in children through an equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) lens.
• Evaluate potential biases in recent studies assessing bilingual children's linguistic and cognitive abilities.
• Identify represented linguistic and neurodiverse experiences and the roles of bilingual individuals in research.

Main Methods:

• Conducted an abbreviated systematic review of quantitative studies on bilingual neurodivergent children.
• Utilized adapted Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist for risk of bias assessment.
• Analyzed data from 95 studies, focusing on methods, bilingualism factors, outcomes, and tasks.

Main Results:

• Equitable assessment is hindered by a lack of culturally and linguistically appropriate tools.
• Case-control designs comparing neurodivergent bilinguals to monolingual peers promote a deficit-based view.
• Challenges in defining and measuring bilingualism complicate cross-study comparisons; focus is on DLD and ASD, understudying acquired disorders.
• Lack of community-based research limits inclusive methodologies.

Conclusions:

• Emphasizes the need for equitable and inclusive research practices for neurodivergent bilingual children.
• Recommends nuanced understanding of bilingualism and neurodiversity.
• Prioritizes inclusive methodologies and holistic assessments with culturally appropriate tools to avoid misdiagnosis and ensure fair evaluations.