'It feels like a blessing' - The experience of Hebrew-English bilingualism among autistic children: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.
David Ariel Sher, Nicole Wendy Sher, Jenny L Gibson and 1 others
PMID 40955060WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic children in this study described Hebrew-English bilingualism as a source of pride, social connection, and religious meaning.
They disliked being told to speak only one language, with one child reporting distress after being barred from Hebrew classes.
Key findings
01Participants described bilingualism as helping them connect with peers, family, and religious life, and providing a sense of pride and empowerment.
02One participant reported significant distress after being prevented from studying Hebrew because practitioners assumed it would be too difficult for her to pass exams.
03A participant attributed his initial difficulty with Hebrew to his upbringing rather than his autism, challenging the assumption that autism inherently makes bilingualism harder.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample was small and highly verbal, so findings may not apply to autistic children with less expressive language. The study focused specifically on Hebrew-English bilingualism in Jewish communities, which may have unique cultural support for bilingualism not present in other contexts. Only four of the thirteen participants were female. Recruitment was via social media, which may bias the sample towards families already engaged with the autism community.
Declared interests
The authors received no financial support and declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these positive accounts as evidence that bilingualism is universally easy or beneficial for all autistic children. The participants were highly verbal and from communities that actively support Hebrew learning, which may not reflect the experience of children with greater communication difficulties or in less supportive environments.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →