False Belief Performance of Children Adopted Internationally by Deborah A. Hwa-Froelich, Hisako Matsuo, and Kristal Jacobs
This intriguing article sets out to compare children adopted internationally (CAI) with non-adopted children in a variety of language areas. The study looked at 4-year-old children adopted from Asian and Eastern European countries before their second birthdays. Weaker language competence and social understanding in the adopted language are two risk factors for CAI. This has to do with interrupted language acquisition and the reality that CAI generally live with fewer older siblings. CAI are generally exposed to different social factors that may affect their social understanding development. Abruptly switching to a new language and learning to live with people of a variety of ages (instead of same-aged groups with high child-caregiver ratios) are correlated with:
- Less language competency
- Performing within normal limits on standardized tests
- Decreased social communication skills
Because these children tend to score within normal limits on standardized tests, therapists should assess social communication, language competence, and inhibition skills to gain a more accurate picture of the child’s language skills.
Additional social opportunities are an opportunity for CAI to observe and interact with older children. A variety of factors related to their birth language, living conditions, and culture, as well as factors related to transitioning into the adoptive language and culture, may affect these children more deeply than we know. The article continues to cover other factors in these areas that should be assessed in addition to core language skills.
As a bilingual therapist, this information should challenge the way you think about children acquiring a second language and open your mind to another group of “bilingual” individuals that you may encounter in your career.
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Author: Megan Kimmel, M.S. Bilingual CCC-SLP
