Screen language dominance: "my memory is completely English, but I speak Swedish"-a case study

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may go through phases where they reuse utterances from screens, adopt an accent acquired from screens, or develop language skills in languages not used in their environment.

This case study explores screen accent and screen language acquisition through "Stella", a nine-year-old Swedish-speaking girl with ASD who acquired English through screens. Data were collected through language assessments (CELF-5) that were conducted by speech-language pathologists, as well as through a parent interview, medical records, and home videos.

Stella used only English from age three to five, only Swedish from age five to nine, and at age nine she mainly uses Swedish, with English in specific contexts, like online gaming. The findings indicate that Stella is showing screen language dominance, as recent assessment results and her early developmental history indicate a greater proficiency in the screen language (English) compared to the language spoken in her environment (Swedish). This is noteworthy considering the range of support Stella has received to develop her Swedish skills.

This study contributes to future research by describing and defining terms related to screen language acquisition and by addressing the potential negative impact of screen language dominance on communicative participation. At the same time, although screens are often associated with negative outcomes, findings from the present case study and recent research indicate that some children with ASD may effectively acquire language through screens, indicating potential benefits for language development. Taken together, these findings underscore the need for further research including children with and without ASD.