SuZir, there are conflicting studies on language acquisition. Our country is now actively promoting children to be bilingual where possible, where there are multiple languages spoken in the home. They have quoted research to back this.
However, I do agree that it can be difficult for an Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) kid to learn a second language; they're still struggling with the first.
I remember watching a documentary on language acquisition when difficult child 3 was a toddler and had severe language delay, yet was learning to read. It was put together by Lord Robert Winston, whose documentaries we enjoy. He showed that the part of the brain we use to learn our first language, is a different part of the brain we use to learn a second language. The second language part of the brain uses the first language to cross-reference, but to learn a first language, you have to learn the entire concept of communication.
In difficult child 3's case, we felt that he was learning to read as his first language. He didn't actually speak a word until he could read it. Before he was using ANY words, he was reciting his alphabet and typing it on a keyboard. I wrote letters on the piano keys and then made up some home-made music manuscript of the ABC song for him, and wrote in the letters on the notes. This way he learned to read music and play the piano. By about 2 he was learning simple words. He learned to use the word, he learned the look of the word and he learned the sound of it. He picked up phonics very quickly because he could see the logic of the alphabet sequence. He would memorise songs on the radio but not understand them. However, when I printed out lyrics (of simple songs) suddenly he pronounced them clearly.
We were advised, due to his autism diagnosis, to never let him learn a second language. I remember when he was 5 in Kindergarten, we were having a learning team meeting up one end of the classroom while difficult child 3 was playing "Grandma & Me" on the classroom computer. Suddenly we heard the computer speaking in Spanish - difficult child 3 had changed the settings (out of boredom, I suppose). His teacher called out to him, "difficult child 3! Change it back to English now!"
Instantly it changed back.
In high school, a time when Aussie kids are introduced to learning other languages formally, we were still following this rule of "don't expose him to other languages". But we had to. So the school compromised on one language, not the three they usually did in one year. difficult child 3 chose German and handled it well. By this stage his language delay is not measurable, he has caught up. it still shows up in a longer word retrieval time, but it takes detailed speech pathology testing now, to identify any problems. We're told that he will always find communication frustrating at some level because he is exceptionally bright, has an amazingly broad and advanced vocabulary, but struggles to use it all to the best of his abilities sometimes.
His German is not fluent, but I occasionally throw German phrases at him, or he will try and translate a phrase or two. He does struggle with confidence, and with other languages you sometimes have to go out on a limb a bit and take a chance. He likes certainty. I'm going to start teaching him a bit of French. He can handle other languages now.
He's very adept at using Babelfish and other online translators. We actually used a translator widget on our computer while we were travelling in French territory a few months ago and found we had to deal with some technicalities which were beyond the scope of our language. The widget helped - we got the other person to type in the French, too, onto our laptop, and between it and us we managed to sort out the SNAFU.
Usage brings familiarity. That first language is important, and learning two first languages side by side is more of a mental stretch. For 'normal' kids it is a gift. For Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) kids, it can aggravate language delay but there will always be one language that prevails more than the other in these circumstances. You may need to ease off on the secondary language a little, until the first language is established more firmly in that case. But according to Aussie research, this is not as good as learning multiple languages at once.
I'll try and find the research references. Our recent news stories on this should have it. By "recent" I mean in the last six months or so.
Marg