Language competency in autism: a scientometric review.

The study of atypical language acquisition in children with, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is crucial for both practical and theoretical reasons. Understanding the course of language development in ASD can inform potential interventions and treatments while shedding light on the necessary conditions for language development in typically developing children. This scientometric review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the research landscape in this field, identifying trends, patterns, and knowledge gaps. The methods employed in this review comprise a systematic search of three major databases: Scopus (5,026 documents), Web of Science (WoS; 4,570 documents), and Lens (3,235 documents). The analysis includes bibliometric indicators such as knowledge production size by year, country, university, source, subject area, author, and citation. Scientometric indicators consist of burst detection, silhouette, clusters, citation, and co-occurrence of keywords. The analysis reveals clusters focusing on various aspects of language development in ASD, such as motor skills, parental communication strategies, cognitive processes, and genetics. Key clusters include the relationship between fine motor gestures and language usage patterns, the role of expressive language skills and maternal gesture use, and the effectiveness of online parent training modules for improving prelinguistic predictors. Other noteworthy clusters explore the importance of core language skills, the role of natural language input and syntactic complexity, and the genetic underpinnings of language abilities in high-functioning adults with ASD. In conclusion, this scientometric review highlights the top 10 clusters and their respective Silhouette values, providing valuable insights into language acquisition in ASD. These findings have important implications for guiding future research directions and informing the creation of targeted and effective interventions to support language acquisition in this population.

Examining Language, Speech and Behaviour Characteristics: A Cross-Sectional Study in Saudi Arabia Using the Arabic Version of Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-Third Edition.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibits diverse manifestations influenced by demographic factors. This study evaluates these variations within Saudi Arabia, aiming to investigate language, speech and behaviour characteristics across different demographics in Saudi Arabia using the Arabic Version of the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-Third Edition (A-GARS-3). Employing a cross-sectional design, 178 participants were stratified by developmental status (n = 124 school settings, n = 54 clinical setting), sex (Females = 77, Males =101), age (range = 3-22), and geographical region (different provinces in Saudi Arabia). The A-GARS-3 measured ASD manifestations across six subscales. The study identified significant differences in ASD manifestations by developmental status, with higher ASD likelihood and severity in clinical settings. Younger children showed more pronounced ASD characteristics, and males were slightly more likely to be diagnosed with ASD. Geographical analysis revealed regional differences in severity. The findings underline the importance of demographic considerations in ASD assessment and diagnosis, suggesting the need for age-specific and culturally sensitive approaches. The A-GARS-3 is a reliable tool for the Saudi context. Regional disparities in ASD prevalence and severity indicate a need for tailored health policies and resources across Saudi provinces.

Religious Identity Construction in Transnational Family Talks: An Autoethnographic Study.

Studies in Family Language Policy (FLP) have focused more on language patterns and practices in transnational families with little attention to the challenges of multilingualism. Through exploring diverse experiences in dealing with multilingualism, more can be understood about parent language ideology, the enactment of FLP, and factors related to identity construction. Therefore, the study highlights how the family experiences affect the way individual family members perceive social relations and social structures and how they construct and present their own identities. The study is based on an analysis of longitudinal data from children's family transnational experiences and how the dynamic of FLP affected not only family talk style but also identity construction. The main focus of the study entails an analysis of personal auto-ethnographic accounts. The study explored the emergence of religious identity in the family talks via (1) using referring expressions to talk about religious places related to two different contexts, and (2) frequently using religious phrases in different settings, which, in turn, reveal the interplay between macro and micro factors affecting the parental language ideology, language planning, and identity construction in the FLP. This study contributed to the field of language policy by presenting the different trajectories in identity construction and family language in a transnational families from a less explored religious and ethnic group.

Bilingual teachers' translanguaging practices and ideologies in online classrooms in Saudi Arabia.

Prior studies in translanguaging have investigated its role in education from different perspectives to understand its efficiency, practicality, and how it promotes or challenges educational and societal aims in different multilingual contexts across the world. However, little attention has been paid to translanguaging in universities with a monolingual environment. To cover this gap, the current study examines teachers' online translanguaging practices and ideologies in Saudi Arabia, where the community language is Arabic but English is commonly a medium of instruction in higher education. The study investigated (a) teachers' practices and perspectives toward translanguaging while communicating online with learners; and (b) how, when, and where teachers find translanguaging to be productive. The study adopts a mixed-methods approach to survey 260 bilingual instructors from universities in Saudi Arabia. In addition, 20 teachers' video-recorded sessions are observed to assess the functions of translanguaging during online synchronous instruction. Five of these teachers are interviewed using stimulated-recall techniques. Results show that the teachers mostly hold positive views about translanguaging, considering it productive in helping students understand complex terms and in engaging in communication inside and outside the classroom. The data suggests that bilingual teachers of Arabic and English prefer the new bilingual approach of translanguaging and appear to depend less on the traditional monolingual approach to teaching in multilingual contexts.