Are Bilingual Children With Speech, Language, and Communication Needs More at Risk for Heritage Language Attrition Than Their Typically Developing Peers?

PURPOSE: We examined the language environment and proficiency of bilingual children with typical development (TD) and with speech, language, and communication needs (SLCNs). We asked whether the children with SLCNs had more reduced heritage language (HL) experiences than did their TD peers and whether this was associated with a weaker HL and a stronger societal language (SL). METHOD: Children (N = 48, Mage = 7.89 years) with TD and with SLCNs and their parents participated in this study; all were learning English as their SL with diverse HLs. Parents responded to a detailed questionnaire (Quantifying Bilingual Experience). Children completed a sentence repetition task in English. RESULTS: The SLCN group had more lifetime input and output in the SL than in the HL, but the TD group showed the opposite pattern. The SLCN group had more current SL input and a less rich HL environment than did the TD group. The SLCN group was less willing to use their HL and had lower HL proficiency compared with the TD group. Reduction in HL experiences was not associated with the strength of SL abilities, as measured by parent report and by performance on a sentence repetition task. Reduced HL experiences were related to lower proficiency in the HL. CONCLUSIONS: Bilingual children with SLCNs are more at risk for HL attrition than their TD peers. Since reduced HL experiences did not improve children's SL abilities, our findings are contrary to the belief that bilingualism is detrimental to SL development in children with SLCNs.