Carleton University Cognitive Science researcher Olessia Jouravlev’s team is challenging this conventional thinking by exploring whether bilingualism may actually enhance communication among people with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions.
Bilingualism offers many cognitive and social advantages, including enhanced complex mental skills such as problem solving and improved multitasking. In today’s interconnected world, being able to communicate in multiple languages is increasingly valuable.
But for those who experience communication challenges due to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia, traditional clinical advice has often discouraged caregivers from raising their children in bilingual environments.
