Exploring cross-linguistic differences in parental input and their associations with child expressive language in ASD: Bulgarian versus English comparison.
Mihaela D Barokova, Helen Tager-Flusberg
PMID 38989796WHAT IT FOUND
Bulgarian parents of children with ASD used fewer words but more verbs and statements than English parents, who used twice as many questions.
However, parental question use predicted child expressive vocabulary equally well in both language groups.
Key findings
01Bulgarian-speaking parents produced significantly fewer word tokens and types per minute than English-speaking parents, while utterance rates did not differ.
02Bulgarian parents used a higher percentage of verbs and significantly more statements and exclamations, whereas English parents used significantly more questions.
03Parental use of questions was a significant predictor of child expressive vocabulary in both groups, with no interaction effect between language group and question use.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The Bulgarian and English groups were not matched on chronological age, with the Bulgarian sample being much older, which may confound input differences. There was no typically developing control group, so it is unclear if the observed input differences are specific to ASD contexts or reflect broader cultural/linguistic norms. The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot determine if parental questions cause language growth or if parents ask more questions because their children already have better language skills. Bulgarian children had limited access to intervention services compared to the English-speaking group, which may have influenced parental interaction styles.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that English-speaking parents' higher question frequency is 'better' for language development. The study shows question use predicts vocabulary in both groups, but the low question rate in Bulgarian parents may reflect a different, equally valid communication style focused on narration and verbs rather than a deficit.