Children with Autism who come from bilingual English-Spanish households:

Are they different from monolingual English?

Maria Valicenti-McDermott MD MS, Rosa Seijo MD, Lisa Shulman MD
Childrens Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center at Montefiore, Rose F Kennedy Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
RESULTS
Table 1: Demographics Characteristics for Children by Household language Table 3: Factors associated with being bilingual (Logistic Regression Model)
a
OBJECTIVES Demographic characteristics Monolingual Eng Bilingual p Dependent Variable: Bilingual Household
To explore the clinical N=312 N=198 Independent variable Unadjusted OR 95th CI Adjusted OR 95th CI p
BACKGROUND characteristics and autistic Mean age at diagnosis (mo. SD) 39 15 39 16 0.9 b
Sterotyped and repetitive 1.7 1.1-2.69 2.3 1.2-4.5 0.9
Communication and Diagnosed before age 3 n(%) 152 (49%) 104 (52%) 0.4 use of language
features of children with Gender Male/Female 248(80%)/64 (20%) 151(76%)/47(24%) 0.4 Age of the child 1.02 0.9-1.1 0.9 0.9-0.9 0.02
language deficits are autism who are exposed to Use of Medicaid n(%) 160 (53%) 141 (72%) <0.001 Maternal Education 0.7 0.6-0.9 0.8 0.6-1.1 0.4
canonical features of a second language at home, Ethnicity n(%) 0.004c Ethnic groups 0.7 0.6-0.9 0.7 0.5-1.0 0.07
Autism Spectrum Disorder compared to children with Hispanic 62 (22%) 160 (82%) Gender 0.8 0.5-1.2 0.9 0.4-1.8 0.8
White 72 (26%) 6 (3%) Use of Medicaid 0.4 0.2-0.6 0.3 0.1-0.7 0.005
(ASD) and the impact of autism who are Black 112 (40%) 15 (7%) Non Verbal Cognitive level 1.2 0.7-1.8 1 0.5-1.8 0.9
being raised in a bilingual monolingual English Other 32 (11%) 14(7%) above 70
environment on these Level of Maternal Education n(%) 0.004c OR: Odd ratio; CI: Confidence Interval
Less than High School 30 (12%) 35 (21%)
fundamental functions is DESIGN/METHODS HS graduate/GED 47 (19%) 32 (19%)
The association between stereotyped use of language and being
not fully understood. Review of all children Some College 68 (27%) 48 (29%)
College Graduate 68 (27%) 37 (23%) bilingual remained significant after adjusting for demographics and
It is estimated that in the initially diagnosed with cognitive level
Masters Degree 34(14%) 12 (7%)
U.S., of 291.5 million ASD from 2003 to 2012 Mother born in the US n(%) 177 (74%) 72 (43%) <0.001
people aged 5 and over, at an inner-city University Maternal age at birth of child(year SD) 30 6 29 6 0.4 a Chi-square test; b
60.6 million people (21 Family history of autism n(%) 50 (16%) 37 (19%) 0.4 Independent t test;c
Affiliated Developmental Family history of dev. disorders n (%) 193 (62%) 117 (61%) 1 Mann Whitney U test
percent of this population) Center. Data included Family history of psych. disorders n(%) 100 (32%) 53 (27%) 0.3
spoke a language other than demographics, family
English at home, most history and clinical Table 2: Child Clinical and Autistic Characteristics by Household language
commonly Spanish (U.S. characteristics, including Clinical characteristics Monolingual Eng Bilingual pa CONCLUSION:
Census Bureau, 2011). N=312 N=198
cognitive level. In this ethnically diverse population,
All bilingual children face Language Regression n(%) 66 (21%) 44 (22%) 0.8
Information included Non Verbal cognitive testing >70 104 (46%) 67 (51%) 0.4 children with ASD who are exposed to
the challenge of acquiring social characteristics Seizures n(%) 15 (5%) 6(3%) 0.4 two languages do not differ from the
proficiency in more than obtained from the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Composite (mean SD) 66 11 67 11 0.3b
monolinguals in cognitive level, autism
one language and there are Autistic Characteristics (from DSM-IV Criteria)
Diagnostic and Statistical Impairment in the use of non verbal behaviors n(%) 195 (77%) 123 (81%) 0.3 severity or social interaction.
very few reports in the Manual for Mental Failure to develop peer relationships n(%) 172 (67%) 100 (66%) 0.6 In this study, living in a bilingual English-
literature on differences in Disorders (DSM-IV), Lack of spontaneous seeking to share n(%) 119 (57%) 81 (53%) 0.2 Spanish household was not associated
social skills between scores from the Childhood Lack of social/emotional reciprocity n(%) 153 (60%) 98 (64%) 0.3
with later diagnosis of ASD.
children with autism who Qualitative Impairments in Communication
Autism Rating Scale Delay in the development of spoken language n(%) 196 (77%) 129 (85%) 0.05 Differences in social use of language
are exposed to one (CARS) and Vineland Impairments in initiate conversations n(%) 86 (34%) 40 (26%) 1 were observed.
language versus those who Adaptive Behavior Sterotyped and repetitive use of language n(%) 127 (50%) 97 (64%) 0.007 More research is needed in this area.
are exposed to two Lack of make believe play n(%) 159 (63%) 92 (60%) 0.6
Composite. Restrictive, repetitive, stereotyped patterns of behavior
languages. Statistics included chi- Preoccupation with 1 or >stereotyped patterns of interest n(%) 129 (51%) 60 (40%) 0.03
. square, t-test, non Adherence to specific, non functional routine or rituals n(%) 79 (31%) 61 (40%) 0.08
Sterotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms n(%) 152 (60%) 94 (62%) 0.6
parametrics, and logistic Preoccupation with parts of objects n(%) 113 (44%) 66 (43%) 0.8
regression Total Score Childhood Autism Rating Scale 34 5 35 6 0.3b maria.valicenti-mcdermott@einstein.yu.edu