Dominant-language replacement: The case of international adoptees

2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
KENNETH HYLTENSTAM ◽  
EMANUEL BYLUND ◽  
NICLAS ABRAHAMSSON ◽  
HYEON-SOOK PARK
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Total Loss ◽  
Theoretical Interpretation ◽  
Adopted Children ◽  
L1 Attrition ◽  
The Neural Network ◽  
International Adoptees ◽  
Internationally Adopted Children ◽  
Language Environment ◽  
Ultimate Attainment

This article challenges a recent proposal for the theoretical interpretation of L1 and L2 interaction that results from the abrupt change of language environment in internationally adopted children. According to this proposal (Pallier, Dehaene, Poline, LeBihan, Argenti, Depoux and Mehler, 2003; Ventureyra, Pallier and Yoo, 2004), such children experience a total loss of their L1, while, as adults, they exhibit a nativelike ultimate attainment of their L2. These authors suggest that what they see as a total loss of L1 allows a resetting of the neural network that normally subserves L1 retention and hence permits a complete acquisition of the L2. Data from two of our own research projects, one on L1 remnants in Korean adoptees in Sweden (see Park, forthcoming), and the other on age of acquisition and ultimate L2 attainment of Swedish (see Abrahamsson and Hyltenstam, in press), which included data from Latin American adoptees in Sweden among other participants, suggest (i) that L1 remnants are indeed maintained, (ii) that L2 attainment isnotenhanced by severe L1 attrition, and (iii) that there is an age dimension to both the degree of L1 attrition and the level of L2 ultimate attainment in international adoptees. We therefore contend that a maturational interpretation of language replacement data is preferable.

Rehabilitation and Remediation of Internationally Adopted Children

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boris Gindis
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Childhood Trauma ◽  
Remedial Education ◽  
Social Situation ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Adopted Children ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
International Adoptees ◽  
The Social ◽  
Internationally Adopted Children

This book presents specific methods for the physical rehabilitation, mental health restoration, and academic remediation of post-institutionalized international adoptees. The focus of the book is on the neurological, psychological, and educational consequences of complex childhood trauma in the context of a fundamental change in the social situation of development of former orphanage residents. A discussion of after-adoption traumatic experiences includes a critique of certain “conventional” approaches to the treatment of mental health issues and different disabilities in international adoptees. Using his 30-year background in research and clinical practice, the author expertly describes and analyses a range of methodologies in order to provide an integrated and practical system of “scaffolding” and “compensation” for the successful rehabilitation and remediation of children with ongoing traumatic experiences. This is essential reading for researchers and practicing clinicians concerned with childhood trauma, remedial education, and issues of international adoption.

Language Loss and Language Learning in Internationally Adopted Children

2019 ◽  
pp. 469-480
Author(s):  
Lara J. Pierce ◽  
Fred Genesee ◽  
Denise Klein
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Adopted Children ◽  
Language Attrition ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
L2 Processing ◽  
L1 Attrition ◽  
Internationally Adopted Children ◽  
L1 And L2 ◽  
Internationally Adopted

Internationally adopted (IA) children begin acquiring one language from birth (L1), but typically discontinue it in favour of their adoption language (L2). Language attrition occurs quickly with IA children unable to speak/understand their L1 within months of adoption. However, as adults IA test participants show certain advantages in this language compared to monolingual speakers never exposed to it, suggesting that certain elements of the L1 may be retained. Neuroimaging studies have found that IA participants exhibit brain activation patterns reflecting the retention of L1 representations and their influence on L2 processing. This chapter reviews research on L1 attrition in IA children, discussing whether/how elements of the L1 may be retained. It discusses how L1 attrition versus retention might influence subsequent language processing in the L1 and L2. Implications of language attrition versus retention patterns observed in IA participants for neuroplasticity and language acquisition are also discussed beyond this specific group.

Bullying Among International Adoptees: Testing Risks and Protective Factors

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 930-951
Author(s):  
Eveliina Holmgren ◽  
Hanna Raaska ◽  
Helena Lapinleimu ◽  
Marko Elovainio
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Protective Factors ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
Bullying Victimization ◽  
Adopted Children ◽  
Adoptive Family ◽  
International Adoptees ◽  
Internationally Adopted Children ◽  
Bullying Experiences

This study examined the risks and protective factors for experiencing bullying and especially racist bullying among internationally adopted children in Finland. Factors examined were related to children's background, adoptive family, children's social problems and social skills, and their associations with bullying experiences. About 56.9% of children reported bullying victimization and 24.2% racist bullying victimization. Boys were at bigger risk of becoming bullied (B = 0.14, p < .05), as were children with disability (B = 0.11; p < .05). The continent of birth (European; B = 0.51; p < .001) and adoptive family's lower socioeconomic status (SES; B = 0.16; p < .05) were associated with increased victimization. Child's social problems increased the likelihood of victimization for both general (B = 0.59, p < .001) and racist bullying (B = 0.10, p < .001). Child's social skills appeared as a protective factor against general bullying (B = 3.87; p > .001). This study shows that interventions for tackling children's social problems and improving their social skills may reduce children's risk for bullying involvement.

In Reply: Internationally Adopted Children and Cytomegalovirus

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 84 (5) ◽  
pp. 937-938
Author(s):  
MARGARET K. HOSTETFER
Keyword(s):  
Prospective Study ◽  
North American ◽  
Prospective Analysis ◽  
Adopted Children ◽  
Women Of Childbearing Age ◽  
Childbearing Age ◽  
Income Groups ◽  
International Adoptees ◽  
Internationally Adopted Children ◽  
Internationally Adopted

The prevalence of cytomegalovirus excretion in internationally adopted children was unknown before our prospective study, in which 23% of international adoptees were found to be actively shedding cytomegalovirus at the time of examination. This figure has remained constant in our subsequent prospective analysis of an additional 100 internationally adopted children. Drs Barton and Friedman are correct in that approximately 45% of North American women of childbearing age in middle and upper income groups are not immune to cytomegalovirus.

Adoption with complications: Conversations with adoptees and adoptive parents on everyday racism and ethnic identity

2010 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 489-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carina Tigervall ◽  
Tobias Hübinette
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Ethnic Origin ◽  
Adoptive Parents ◽  
Adopted Children ◽  
Adult Adoptees ◽  
International Adoptees ◽  
Majority Population ◽  
Internationally Adopted Children ◽  
Adoption Research ◽  
And Coping

This study is based on qualitative interviews with 20 adult international adoptees of colour and eight adoptive parents with internationally adopted children in Sweden regarding their experiences of racialization, ethnic identifications and coping strategies. The findings suggest that the non-white bodies of the adoptees are constantly made significant in their everyday lives in interactions with the white Swedish majority population, whether expressed as ‘curious questions’ concerning the ethnic origin of the adoptees or as outright aggressive racialization. The study argues that race has to be taken into consideration by Swedish adoption research and the Swedish adoption community, to be able to fully grasp the high preponderance of psychic ill health among adult adoptees as found by quantitative adoption research.

scholarly journals Intestinal parasites may be associated with later behavioral problems in internationally adopted children

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0245786
Author(s):  
Anna-Riitta Heikkilä ◽  
Marko Elovainio ◽  
Hanna Raaska ◽  
Jaakko Matomäki ◽  
Jari Sinkkonen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Intestinal Parasite ◽  
Intestinal Parasites ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Sufficient Information ◽  
Adopted Children ◽  
International Adoptees ◽  
Internationally Adopted Children ◽  
Parasite Infections ◽  
Internationally Adopted

Aim At arrival in new home country, internationally adopted children often have intestinal parasites. International adoptees also exhibit more behavioral problems than their biological peers. We examined whether intestinal parasite infections in international adoptees on arrival in Finland are associated with their later behavioral and emotional problems. Methods Data for this study were sourced from the Finnish Adoption Study (FinAdo) based on parental questionnaires for all internationally adopted children under 18 years (n = 1450) who arrived in Finland from 1985 to 2007. A total of 1293 families provided sufficient information on the adoptee’s background, parasitic status on arrival, and behavioral symptoms at the median time of 5 years after arrival (mean age = 7.8 years). Behavioral and emotional disorders were evaluated with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Statistical analyses were conducted using linear regression. Results Of the 1293 families, parents of 206 adoptive children reported intestinal parasites in their adopted children on arrival. Parasite-infected children had subsequently higher CBCL problem scores than the children without parasites (p < 0.001). The association between intestinal parasites and later behavioral problems was stronger than that between intestinal parasites and any other factors measured in this study, except disability. Limitations The control group was naturally provided by the adopted children without parasite infections, but we could not compare the adopted children to non-adopted children without a defined parasite infection. We were unable to specify the effects associated with a specific parasite type. It was not possible either to include multiple environmental factors that could have been associated with behavioral problems in the models, which indicated only modest explanatory values. Conclusions In this study, intestinal parasite infections in early childhood may be associated with children’s later psychological wellbeing, even in children who move to a country with a low prevalence of parasites. Our findings may support further developments pertaining to the gut-brain theory.

Children's Nonword Repetition Tasks and English Language Learners

2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 73-79
Author(s):  
Sara C. Steele ◽  
Deborah A. Hwa-Froelich
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
English Language ◽  
Nonword Repetition ◽  
Adopted Children ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Bilingual Speakers ◽  
Internationally Adopted Children ◽  
English Speaking

Nonword repetition performance has been shown to differentiate monolingual English-speaking children with language impairment (LI) from typically developing children. These tasks have been administered to monolingual speakers of different languages and to simultaneous and sequential bilingual English Language Learners (ELLs) with mixed results. This article includes a review of the nonword repetition performance of monolingual and bilingual speakers and of internationally adopted children. Clinical implications for administration and interpretation of nonword repetition task outcomes are included.

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