ASD and acquiring a 2nd language

bumpuser511563

I know DS is catching up and is in speech therapy amongst other therapies such as OT and PT.

There was a time when DS would bite as communication and had his share of tantrums. It was a very frustrating time. We have increased speech over the course since DS was 1 and he is now able to communicate basic needs.

DH and I are wondering if we should introduce spanish. DH can speak English, Spanish and Japanese. I can only speak English and I understand some Spanish fairly. I can't roll my r's.

It seems unheard of in our ASD community when ASD is a language in itself.

TIA

bumpuser511563

I was thinking conversationally in Spanish.

Thank you, Auntie.

CaptainSerious

I think this would depend on your son's particular strengths and difficulties.  Both my sons were native Spanish speakers, but also have language-based learning disabilities, and J has apraxia of speech.  As a result, we have chosen to drop the Spanish from our everyday lives.  They only speak English and that's all we use because it would only add confusion in their efforts to acquire proper English.

If language-learning difficulties are not something your son is dealing with, and your son adapts pretty well, I think it's wonderful to learn a second language when your young.  I firmly believe that doing so makes it easier to pick up new languages (or at least phrases enough to travel) with significantly more ease later in life.

bumpuser511563

I texted DS's speech therapist yesterday. She said he would have a time where he would be silent and he could possibly do code switching.

The silent part would be rather scary. DS use to talk gibberish and tantrums. Biting was his form of communication. At that time we were doing 30 minutes to 1 hour a week and that was very little. DH and I agreed we did not want to go back to that and deal with regression due to a second language.

Now we find 4-5 hours of speech was a great help but he is still learning English.

Maybe when he is a little bit older.

CCinLove

I've thought about this a lot since my H is fluent in Spanish.  My son's language delay was pretty significant, so I wouldn't even let him watch Dora for fear of him being confused.  He will have Spanish class at school starting next year (K), and I think he will be fine at this point.  I don't think I would feel comfortable speaking more than one language interchangeably at home, but I think he will be fine in a classroom setting.

I actually started letting him watch Dora last year, and he gets that she is speaking a different language that he doesn't know how to speak.  That's my scientific measure for if he's ready, LOL.