Parental views on language choice and its impact on bilingual families of children with autism spectrum disorder: a qualitative study

India is known for its linguistic and cultural diversity, and is one amongst the most multilingual countries of the world. Yet only little is known about bilingualism in families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study, thus, aimed to explore the parental views on language choice and their impact on bilingual families of children with ASD, in India. The study employed a descriptive qualitative research design using in-depth interviews on 12 parents of children with ASD having English as their second language. The data obtained was subjected to inductive thematic analysis. Results revealed four major themes and corresponding subthemes, namely, parental opinion on language approach, language choice and practice, factors determining language choice, and their impact. Parents presented mixed views on bilingualism. Despite having positive opinion regarding bilingualism, parents demonstrated a mismatch between the opinion on language choice and practice. Although parents wish to practice bilingualism, several factors influenced their use of languages with their children with ASD. Some of these factors involved the child’s ability, family factors, the role of English and advice received from professionals and fellow parents. The parental language practice showed impact on the family, education, and intervention of the child. Results of our study support the existing literature and highlight specific factors supporting bilingualism in the Indian context.