Inclusion of heritage language learners on the autism spectrum: Lessons from second-generation parents

Drawing on the frameworks of family language policy and linguistic practice, this study examines the constraints and affordances of heritage language maintenance efforts in three families of children on the autism spectrum whose parents are second-generation Chinese-Americans. The findings show the parents' choices for facilitating heritage language maintenance were significantly constrained by the pressures for their children to achieve normative standards and by the lack of supports for addressing their children's intersectional needs. We discuss the implications of these findings and make an argument for an inclusive approach to education grounded in an intersectional understanding of disability and language.