Multilingualism and Social Characteristics in Autistic Adults
The ability to communicate and navigate social interactions is an integral part of daily life, and understanding the various factors that may influence this experience among autistic adults is of great importance.
A new study, published in Autism Res in August 2026, examined for the first time on a large scale the link between multilingual engagement and social characteristics in adults, both autistic and non-autistic. Previously, most research on the topic focused on children, used small samples, and oversimplified the distinction between monolingualism and multilingualism. This study sought to examine whether the degree of multilingual involvement is related to autism-related social characteristics in adults.
The researchers collected data from 459 adults, 132 of whom had an autism diagnosis. They examined the participants' degree of multilingual engagement - in childhood and currently - and their degree of social, communication, and general autistic characteristics, using a dedicated diagnostic tool.
The findings indicate that in both participant groups - the full sample and the group of people with an autism diagnosis separately - a link was found between a higher level of multilingual engagement and lower scores on measures of social interaction and general autistic characteristics. In other words, the more an individual was involved in multiple languages, the fewer difficulties they reported in these areas. It is important to note that no such link was found with communication characteristics specifically.
In particular, among the autistic group, the link between current multilingual engagement and social interaction and general autistic characteristics was especially strong. This initial finding suggests that multilingualism may be linked to a reduction in autism-related social characteristics in adulthood.
What do these findings mean for autistic adults in Israel? The study offers an interesting line of thought that multilingual skills can be an advantage and even positively influence certain aspects of social interaction. For those who are proficient in several languages, or who are considering learning an additional language, this study can shed light on a positive potential that has not been sufficiently explored in the past. It is important to remember that this is one study indicating a correlation and not a direct cause and effect, but it certainly opens the door for future research to thoroughly examine the potential benefits of multilingualism on the lives of autistic adults.