Executive functions in Cantonese-English bilingual autistic and neurotypical children: The role of first and second language exposure across different communicative contexts

This study investigated the impact of first language (L1) and second language (L2) exposure on working memory and inhibitory control in 6- to 10-year-old Cantonese-English bilingual autistic children (N = 36, mean age = 8;05, SD = 1.02) and bilingual neurotypical children (N = 40, mean age = 8;02, SD = 1.02), with a particular focus on how different communicative contexts influence executive functions (EFs). Results from the backward digit span and Flanker tasks showed that autistic children performed similarly to their neurotypical peers in working memory but exhibited greater difficulties with inhibitory control. For autistic children, greater exposure to their L1 Cantonese in home settings was associated with improved working memory and inhibitory control. Importantly, exposure to L2 English in both home and school contexts did not adversely affect working memory or inhibitory control in autistic children. In contrast, no significant associations were observed between L1 or L2 exposure and EF performance in neurotypical children across communicative contexts. These findings provide new evidence that L2 exposure in general does not harm working memory or inhibitory control in autistic children, and highlight the critical role of specific communicative contexts in shaping EF outcomes in bilingual autistic children.