Every parent waits to hear their child’s first word, but what if it doesn’t come when expected according to developmental milestones? This is the case for most adoptive families who have adopted their children internationally. Speech is one aspect of the child for which there may be a big discrepancy between chronological age and developmental age.
The good news, however, is that most speech-language issues improve very quickly for children once they are in the adoptive home. The key is for adoptive parents to understand why these communication issues exist and to have an assessment completed on the child as soon as possible.
Speech Issues Experienced by Adopted Kids
Before fully understanding the types of communication issues that are commonly experienced by international adoptees, it is very important to note the difference between speech and language. Dr. Boris Gindis, chief psychologist of the Centre for Cognitive Developmental Assessment and Remediation, clarifies that speech relates to clarity and smoothness of utterances – known as articulation and fluency, whereas language refers to the ability to communicate in various forms, one of which is speech.
The most common language issue for international adoptees is language delay. According to Dr. Gindis, this is expected in children adopted internationally as they are likely delayed in many psychological and physical aspects due mostly to their institutionalization.
Why Adopted Children Have Communication Difficulties
For children who have spent several months, possibly years, in an orphanage, their environment and level of care has a large role in how developed the child is in speech. Other factors that may cause the child to have language difficulties are:
- Shyness in their new adoptive family
- Prenatal exposure to alcohol and drugs
- Early traumatic experiences such as a witnessing or being a victim of abuse
- Learning a new language they have not been exposed to before
Some adoptive parents may assume that the child will take longer to learn to speak the language of the adopting family because it is not their first language, however this bilingualism is typically not a concern after the first few weeks the child has been immersed in the language of the adoptive home.
Speech Assessment for Internationally Adopted Children
Dr. Sharon Glennen of Towson University in Maryland has created a list of questions parents adopting internationally can ask to help assess the child’s speech and language skills. The questions for an infant or small child assess the following:
- Eye contact and visual gaze
- Gestures and reaching skills
- Interest and ability to play
- Language comprehension in native language
- Oral motor and feeding abilities
For older children or young adoptees who can speak 3-4 word sentences, Glennen advises adoptive parents evaluate the child’s expressive language, receptive language, articulation, pronunciation, social interaction and literacy as well as academic ability for children attending school.
Improving Speech & Language Abilities in International Adoptees
Based on the research by both Glennen and Gindis, most international adoptees under the age of two who have mild to moderate speech delays at the time of adoption, are on par with their peers within one year of living in the adoptive home. As expected, older children and those with significant delays take longer to catch up or may even have permanent speech and language difficulties.
For children with speech and language delays it is advisable that they be assessed as soon as they are with the adoptive family so appropriate therapies and interventions can be explored early. By helping internationally adopted children feel confident with their speech and language skills, adoptive parents are creating a solid foundation for meeting other developmental milestones as well.
Sources
- Adoptionarticlesdirectory.com Website. “ The Signs of Speech and Language Delay in Young Internationally Adopted Children ” (accessed April 19, 2011).
- ASHA.org Website. “Speech and Language ‘Mythbusters’ for Internationally Adopted Children” (accessed April 19, 2011).
- Language Development in Internationally Adopted Children Website. “Pre-Adoption Questions to Ask About Language” (accessed April 19, 2011).
- The Centre for Adoption Medicine Website. “Language Development in Internationally Adopted Children” (accessed April 19, 2011).
Angela Krueger - As an adoptive parent and PRIDE adoption trainer, Angela uses her insights to help others on their adoption journey.
