Expressive Language Development in an Autistic Bimodal Bilingual Child: A 10-Year Case Study

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Developmental Psychology
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Research

Background:

• Children of Deaf adults (codas) are bimodal bilinguals, acquiring spoken and signed languages from birth.
• Bimodal bilingual development in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the first longitudinal case study of expressive language in an autistic bimodal bilingual child.
• To analyze spoken and signed language development over ten years.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal case study of a hearing child with Deaf parents, exposed to English and American Sign Language (ASL) from birth.
• Expressive language samples analyzed at ages 4;11, 6;6, 9;11, and 14;11 for syntax, vocabulary, modality use, and echolalia.

Main Results:

• Significant expressive language delays were observed in both spoken and signed modalities.
• No modality showed a consistent advantage; development was limited in both English and ASL.
• Pragmatic strengths and unique bimodal features like code-blending and cross-modal echolalia were noted.

Conclusions:

• Autistic bimodal bilinguals may experience global expressive language delays.
• Further research is needed on developmental trajectories and communication strategies in this population.