Comparing in-Person Instruction and Computer-Assisted Instruction for Learning New Cognate Vocabulary in Bilingual Children With Level 1 ASD

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent deficits in communication and social interaction, and technology might benefit skill learning in this population. Despite communication deficits, many children with ASD can acquire two languages and may even prefer their second language. This study aimed to determine whether bilingual children with ASD would learn more new words in English than in Spanish, and whether computer-assisted instruction would outperform in-person instruction, compared with neurotypical children (NT). Twenty-eight bilingual (Spanish/English) children aged 6–12 participated: 14 with ASD and 14 neurotypical children (i.e., without autism), matched on age, sex, and language exposure. Each child learned 16 new words under four conditions (English technology, English person, Spanish technology, Spanish person), followed by recall and recognition tests. No significant differences emerged; children with ASD learned equally in both languages and under both conditions, matching neurotypical peers. However, certain factors (age, language exposure, device use) benefited children with ASD more than neurotypical peers.