8 Things you need to know about autism and bilingualism

By Bérengère Digard, at Polyglot Conference 2017, on Fr 27 Oktober 2017
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Knowing several languages shapes the way people interact and the way they lead their social life. But how does it work for people on the autism spectrum, who can experience specific difficulties in social interaction? To answer this question, I designed the Autism & Bilingualism Census (ABC), an online survey addressed to all adults on the autism spectrum, monolinguals and multilinguals alike. By focusing on both the language exposure and use, and the general life satisfaction and social involvement of the participants, the ABC is new, unique, and valuable tool to understand how knowing several languages influences the way adults on the autism spectrum lead their social life. The ABC also brings to light this population often overlooked that are bilinguals and multilinguals on the autism spectrum. The ABC will be completed by the summer 2017.