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Communication development and differences in children adopted from China and Eastern Europe

Send correspondence to: Deborah A. Hwa-Froelich, Ph.D., 3750 Lindell Blvd.; 12 McGannon Hall, St. Louis, MO 63108-3412, Phone: (314) 977-3380, FAX: (314) 977-3360, E-mail: hwafroda{at}slu.edu.

Purpose: The communication development of children adopted from China and Eastern Europe were compared by region of origin at 6 and 12 months post-adoption.

Method: Twenty children, recruited prior to or immediately following their adoption, were included to participate in the study. Measures were collected between 2 and 6 months post-adoption (Time 1) and then at 12 to 14 months post-adoption (Time 2). Ages ranged between 11–22 months and 22–34 months respectively. Parent reported vocabulary comprehension and expression and behavioral communication assessments were administered.

Results: No significant differences between region of origin were found at Time 1. At Time 2 all of the children performed within 2 standard deviations of the mean on the PLS-4. Significant group differences in expressive language performance were found at Time 2 with children adopted from Eastern Europe and China demonstrating different patterns of English language development.

Conclusion: Early prelinguistic measures may provide prognostic indicators for later English language development. Children adopted from different countries where they are initially exposed to different birth languages may acquire English differently.

KEY WORDS: internationally adopted children, English language development, regional differences

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