Auditory-Motor Mapping Training With an Autistic Child from a Bilingual Family

Bilingual immigrant family members in the United States may experience specific challenges in providing support to their autistic children, who often exhibit speech delays and communication issues. These challenges can arise from a combination of language barriers, cultural obstacles, and a lack of therapeutic resources in their heritage language; a term synonymous with “home language,” “native language,” and “mother tongue,” referring to a language other than English used by immigrants and their children. This article focuses on addressing these issues through an adaptation of auditory-motor mapping training (AMMT), a specific therapeutic intervention originally designed for autistic children who consider English as their primary language, aiming to enhance speech production. This article brings forward a case example of an autistic child of a Korean immigrant family to illustrate the adaptation process of AMMT from English to another language, Korean, specifically the Seoul dialect. This study highlights three factors music therapists should consider during the adaptation: (a) phonological distinctions between the heritage language and English; (b) the language spoken within the child’s home and the parents’ perspective on bilingualism; and (c) the unique attributes of each autistic child. The pros and cons of AMMT and recommendations for music therapy professionals are also discussed.