The Language Question: Considering Three Somali American Students With Autism

Abstract

Little research addresses the experiences of students with autism living in multilingual families. This multiple case study project examines the language-development-related knowledge and beliefs of paired mothers and educators of three Somali American boys with autism. Data include serial interviews, observations, and analysis of educational documents. Five distinct themes emerged from this study: (a) individuals with autism benefit from exposure to multiple languages, (b) the belief that multilingualism can be confusing for individuals with autism, (c) families value home language exposure, (d) educators are uncertain about providing language recommendations, and (e) information about students' multilingual context is virtually absent from educational documents and Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. With these findings in mind, implications for practice are discussed.