Bilingualism Enhances Metalinguistic Awareness in Autism: Extending the Two-Dimensional Grammaticality Judgment Task / Pauline WOLFER in Autism Research, 19-3 (March 2026)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism Research > 19-3 (March 2026) . - e70173 Titre : Bilingualism Enhances Metalinguistic Awareness in Autism: Extending the Two-Dimensional Grammaticality Judgment Task Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Pauline WOLFER, Auteur ; Franziska BAUMEISTER, Auteur ; Stephanie DURRLEMAN, Auteur Article en page(s) : e70173 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : autism spectrum disorder  bilingualism  grammaticality judgment task  metalinguistic awareness Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : ABSTRACT Bilingualism has been associated with enhanced metalinguistic awareness (MA), the ability to reflect upon language. However, findings remain mixed, and little is known about how proficiency in the most proficient (L1) and second-best language (L2) contribute to MA, especially in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who often present heterogeneous cognitive and linguistic profiles. We tested 270 children aged 5?12 (90 autistic, 180 neurotypical) using a two-dimensional Grammaticality Judgment Task (GJT) requiring two components of MA: analyzed knowledge (understanding of grammatical rules) and cognitive control (suppressing irrelevant semantic cues). Bilingualism was examined both categorically (monolingual vs. bilingual) and continuously (L2 proficiency), using generalized linear mixed-effects models controlling for age, nonverbal IQ, and L1 proficiency. Among neurotypical children, no significant bilingual advantage was found. In contrast, bilingual autistic children significantly outperformed monolingual peers on items requiring cognitive control, and higher L2 proficiency was associated with better overall GJT performance. These findings advance understanding of how bilingualism relates to metalinguistic abilities in autism and suggest that it is not only non-detrimental but may confer specific metalinguistic benefits. The study underscores the importance of combining categorical and continuous approaches to bilingualism to better capture individual variability in neurodiverse populations. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.70173 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=583 [article] Bilingualism Enhances Metalinguistic Awareness in Autism: Extending the Two-Dimensional Grammaticality Judgment Task [texte imprimé] / Pauline WOLFER, Auteur ; Franziska BAUMEISTER, Auteur ; Stephanie DURRLEMAN, Auteur . - e70173. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism Research > 19-3 (March 2026) . - e70173 Mots-clés : autism spectrum disorder  bilingualism  grammaticality judgment task  metalinguistic awareness Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : ABSTRACT Bilingualism has been associated with enhanced metalinguistic awareness (MA), the ability to reflect upon language. However, findings remain mixed, and little is known about how proficiency in the most proficient (L1) and second-best language (L2) contribute to MA, especially in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who often present heterogeneous cognitive and linguistic profiles. We tested 270 children aged 5?12 (90 autistic, 180 neurotypical) using a two-dimensional Grammaticality Judgment Task (GJT) requiring two components of MA: analyzed knowledge (understanding of grammatical rules) and cognitive control (suppressing irrelevant semantic cues). Bilingualism was examined both categorically (monolingual vs. bilingual) and continuously (L2 proficiency), using generalized linear mixed-effects models controlling for age, nonverbal IQ, and L1 proficiency. Among neurotypical children, no significant bilingual advantage was found. In contrast, bilingual autistic children significantly outperformed monolingual peers on items requiring cognitive control, and higher L2 proficiency was associated with better overall GJT performance. These findings advance understanding of how bilingualism relates to metalinguistic abilities in autism and suggest that it is not only non-detrimental but may confer specific metalinguistic benefits. The study underscores the importance of combining categorical and continuous approaches to bilingualism to better capture individual variability in neurodiverse populations. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.70173 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=583

Exploring Metalinguistic Awareness in School-Aged Autistic Children: Insights from Grammatical Judgment / Pauline WOLFER in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 56-2 (February 2026)  

Public ISBD [article]  inJournal of Autism and Developmental Disorders > 56-2 (February 2026) . - p.560-573 Titre : Exploring Metalinguistic Awareness in School-Aged Autistic Children: Insights from Grammatical Judgment Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Pauline WOLFER, Auteur ; Franziska BAUMEISTER, Auteur ; Nicola RUDELLI, Auteur ; Grace CORRIGAN, Auteur ; Letitia R. NAIGLES, Auteur ; Stephanie DURRLEMAN, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.560-573 Langues : Anglais (eng) Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Metalinguistic awareness, the ability to manipulate and reflect upon language, remains largely unexplored in the autistic population. To address this gap, this observational cross-sectional study examines the metalinguistic abilities of school-aged autistic children in comparison to neurotypical peers in a novel tablet-based Grammatical Judgment Task (GJT) of reduced linguistic complexity engaging two kinds of metacognitive resources. Children had to judge non-verbally whether pre-recorded sentences were grammatically correct or not, following the traditional GJT paradigm assessing metamorphosyntactic skills. In addition, sentences with anomalous meaning that were either grammatically correct or grammatically incorrect were introduced to test metasemantic knowledge. Findings reveal no difference in performance between the groups, with participants performing on average above chance level both on the sentences assessing mere metamorphosyntactic skills and on the sentences placing an additional demand on metasemantics. This study shows that autistic individuals are able to mobilize metalinguistic resources when tested via a task of reduced linguistic complexity. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06569-y Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=580 [article] Exploring Metalinguistic Awareness in School-Aged Autistic Children: Insights from Grammatical Judgment [texte imprimé] / Pauline WOLFER, Auteur ; Franziska BAUMEISTER, Auteur ; Nicola RUDELLI, Auteur ; Grace CORRIGAN, Auteur ; Letitia R. NAIGLES, Auteur ; Stephanie DURRLEMAN, Auteur . - p.560-573. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders > 56-2 (February 2026) . - p.560-573 Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Metalinguistic awareness, the ability to manipulate and reflect upon language, remains largely unexplored in the autistic population. To address this gap, this observational cross-sectional study examines the metalinguistic abilities of school-aged autistic children in comparison to neurotypical peers in a novel tablet-based Grammatical Judgment Task (GJT) of reduced linguistic complexity engaging two kinds of metacognitive resources. Children had to judge non-verbally whether pre-recorded sentences were grammatically correct or not, following the traditional GJT paradigm assessing metamorphosyntactic skills. In addition, sentences with anomalous meaning that were either grammatically correct or grammatically incorrect were introduced to test metasemantic knowledge. Findings reveal no difference in performance between the groups, with participants performing on average above chance level both on the sentences assessing mere metamorphosyntactic skills and on the sentences placing an additional demand on metasemantics. This study shows that autistic individuals are able to mobilize metalinguistic resources when tested via a task of reduced linguistic complexity. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06569-y Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=580

Which aspect of the bilingual experience affects Theory of Mind in autistic and neurotypical children? / Franziska BAUMEISTER in Research in Autism, 133 (May 2026)  

Public ISBD [article]  inResearch in Autism > 133 (May 2026) . - p.202880 Titre : Which aspect of the bilingual experience affects Theory of Mind in autistic and neurotypical children? Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Franziska BAUMEISTER, Auteur ; Pauline WOLFER, Auteur ; Stephanie DURRLEMAN, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.202880 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Theory of Mind  Autism  Bilingualism  Social cognition  Language development  Principal Component Analysis  Linear-mixed effects modeling Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background Theory of Mind (ToM), the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and others, is often challenging for autistic children. While bilingualism has been shown to enhance ToM in neurotypical children, its effects on autistic children remain poorly understood and parents and carers have expressed concerns about maintaining dual language exposure for their child with autism. Previous research has largely treated bilingualism as a binary construct (monolingual vs. bilingual), overlooking its complexity and multidimensional nature, thereby preventing clear guidelines related to precise bilingual experiences. Methods This study examined the effects of continuous bilingual experiences on daily-life ToM in 435 children (171 autistic, 264 neurotypical) aged 3–12 years. Various language experience characteristics were measured using the Q-BEx questionnaire. ToM was evaluated with the parental Theory of Mind Inventory 2 questionnaire. Principal Component Analysis was used to reduce the characteristics’ predictors to a smaller subset; linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze the relationship between the resulting Principal Components and ToM. Results Richer second language exposure and greater proficiency in the second-best language led to higher ToM scores in autistic children only. However, balanced language use across contexts predicted lower ToM ratings on a subset of more basic ToM skills, an effect that disappeared when controlling for first language proficiency. Conclusions These findings suggest that bilingualism may contribute to mitigating social-cognitive challenges in autism, providing potential cognitive and social benefits. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reia.2026.202880 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=585 [article] Which aspect of the bilingual experience affects Theory of Mind in autistic and neurotypical children? [texte imprimé] / Franziska BAUMEISTER, Auteur ; Pauline WOLFER, Auteur ; Stephanie DURRLEMAN, Auteur . - p.202880. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Research in Autism > 133 (May 2026) . - p.202880 Mots-clés : Theory of Mind  Autism  Bilingualism  Social cognition  Language development  Principal Component Analysis  Linear-mixed effects modeling Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background Theory of Mind (ToM), the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and others, is often challenging for autistic children. While bilingualism has been shown to enhance ToM in neurotypical children, its effects on autistic children remain poorly understood and parents and carers have expressed concerns about maintaining dual language exposure for their child with autism. Previous research has largely treated bilingualism as a binary construct (monolingual vs. bilingual), overlooking its complexity and multidimensional nature, thereby preventing clear guidelines related to precise bilingual experiences. Methods This study examined the effects of continuous bilingual experiences on daily-life ToM in 435 children (171 autistic, 264 neurotypical) aged 3–12 years. Various language experience characteristics were measured using the Q-BEx questionnaire. ToM was evaluated with the parental Theory of Mind Inventory 2 questionnaire. Principal Component Analysis was used to reduce the characteristics’ predictors to a smaller subset; linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze the relationship between the resulting Principal Components and ToM. Results Richer second language exposure and greater proficiency in the second-best language led to higher ToM scores in autistic children only. However, balanced language use across contexts predicted lower ToM ratings on a subset of more basic ToM skills, an effect that disappeared when controlling for first language proficiency. Conclusions These findings suggest that bilingualism may contribute to mitigating social-cognitive challenges in autism, providing potential cognitive and social benefits. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reia.2026.202880 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=585

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