Speech-Language Development in Children Adopted from China
Karen E. Pollock, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
University of Alberta
Ongoing Projects
Language Development Survey: Children Adopted from China (and other Asian Countries)
Karen Pollock (University of Alberta)
The preschool study results showed us that the outcome for speech and language development in the preschool years, two or more years post-adoption, was quite good. However, a remaining concern was how to identify at an earlier point in time those children who would most likely “catch up” on their own and those who would need intervention. Speech-language pathologists currently have no normative data for interpreting the performance of our children on speech-language tests, especially during the early years post-placement. Instead, they are left to compare their performance to that of US-born monolingual English-speaking children (obviously an unfair comparison) or to make subjective judgments based on past experience or anecdotal evidence. In an attempt to fill this urgent need for normative data, a longitudinal survey of language development in children adopted from China was initiated in 2001.
The survey was modeled after one used by Sharon Glennen and Gay Masters at Towson University for studying language in children adopted from Eastern Europe. Parents are asked to complete questionnaires every three months until their child reaches approximately 3 years of age. Over 150 children from across the US and Canada (plus a few internationally) are participating in this study, and over 1/3 have already completed the study. Children ranged in age from 5 to 36 months of age at time of adoption, with an average of 12.8 months. Most began the study within 6 months post-placement.
It will be another year or two before all data are collected and analyzed, but preliminary analyses of spoken vocabulary and sentence length are available for children adopted before 18 months of age. Although there is considerable variation in performance, on average children adopted before 12 months of age had vocabularies and sentence lengths comparable to those of monolingual US-born English-speaking peers. Children adopted between 13 and 18 months of age also did well, with scores reaching into the low average range for US-born peers by 6 months post-adoption. Rate of vocabulary growth was similar across children, with most reaching 50 words by 9 months post-adoption and 500 words by 21 months post-adoption. On average, they were producing 2-word utterances by 9 months post-adoption and 5-6 word utterances by 18 months post-adoption.
When the final data are available, developmental charts will be constructed that will allow parents and professionals to compare a given child’s performance to that of other children adopted from China at a similar age. These charts will be accessible through this website.
Presentations/publications resulting from this study:
Krakow, R., Aronoff, S., Glennen, S., Pollock, K., & Roberts, J. (2004). Internationally adopted children: Triumph and challenge. Invited seminar presented at the annual convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), Philadelphia, November. (click here to view abstract)
Pollock, K.E. (2005). Early language growth in children adopted from China: Issues and preliminary normative data. Seminars in Speech and Language, 26, 22-32. (click here to view abstract) (copy of full article available on request by emailing karen.pollock@ualberta.ca )
Preschool Outcomes Study – additional analyses
Jenny Roberts & Rena Krakow (Temple University)
Karen Pollock (University of Alberta)
Johanna Price & Kathy Fulmer (University of Memphis)
Paul Wang (Pfizer Global Research & Development)
In addition to the standardized language test results reported by Roberts et al. (in press), additional analyses have been (or are being) completed from the cohort of 55 preschoolers adopted from China as infants/toddlers. Spontaneous language samples, preliteracy skills, adaptive behavior, phonological abilities, and cognitive skills are being analyzed. Results of some of these analyses have been presented at professional conferences, and manuscripts are being prepared for publication.
Presentations/publications resulting from these studies:
Roberts, J., Pollock, K., Krakow, R., Price, J., Andrzejewski, M., & Donohue, C. (2003). Preliteracy profiles of preschool-aged children adopted from China. Paper presented at the annual convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), November, Chicago. (click here to view abstract)
Krakow, R., Roberts, J., Pollock, K., & Barry, S. (2003). Adaptive behavior and language development in children adopted from China. Paper presented at the annual convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), November, Chicago. (click here to view abstract)
Pollock, K., Tamura, M., & Chow, E. (2004a). Phonological outcomes for preschoolers adopted from China as infants/toddlers. Paper presented at the annual Child Phonology Conference, Tempe, AZ, May. (click here to view abstract)
Pollock, K., Chow, E., & Tamura, M. (2004b). Phonology and prosody in preschoolers adopted from China as infants/toddlers. Poster presented at the annual convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), November, Philadelphia. (click here to view abstract)
Pollock, K.E., & Price, J.R. (2005). Phonological skills of children adopted from China: Implications for assessment. Seminars in Speech and Language, 26, 54-63. (click here to view abstract) (copy of full article available on request by emailing karen.pollock@ualberta.ca )
Pollock, K., Roberts, J., Krakow, R. (2004) Language sampling versus standardized testing in children adopted from China. Poster presented at the annual convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), November, Philadelphia. (click here to view abstract)
Follow-up Studies
Jenny Roberts, Rena Krakow, Kathy Scott (Temple University)
Karen Pollock ( University of Alberta)
Johanna Price (Oklahoma State University)
Several projects are underway to conduct follow-up assessments of children who participated in earlier projects. Roberts, Pollock, & Krakow have re-assessed the 10 lowest-scoring children from the preschool outcomes study. Kathy Scott, a doctoral student at Temple University, plans to assess the language and academic skills of participants from the preschool outcomes study as they complete first or second grade. Johanna Price plans to re-assess the six children who participated in her longitudinal study annually – they are currently four years of age. In addition, I am continuing to monitor the progress of the two children described by Pollock, Price, & Fulmer (2003). Both have now completed kindergarten and appear on track with early reading skills.
Presentations/publications resulting from these studies:
Roberts, J., Pollock, K., & Krakow, R. (2004). Continued catch-up and language delay in children adopted from China. Poster presented at the annual convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), November, Philadelphia. (click here to view abstract)
Roberts, J., Pollock, K., & Krakow, R. (2005). Continued catch-up and language delay in children adopted from China. Seminars in Speech and Language, 26, 76-85. (click here to view abstract) (copy of full article available on request by emailing karen.pollock@ualberta.ca )
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