[sak9645]

Becca was 18.5 mo. old when I met her in China. While still in her birth city, she began to say "hi" and "bye-bye" in English. By the time we arrived back in DC, she had added "OK". Shortly thereafter, she was saying "Ba-BAH!" for "Becca", and "Dooo-DOOO" for "doggy" (and NOT what the doggy leaves behind).

She did NOT say "Mommy" until we had been home 3.5 months, maybe because I am a single Mom and she didn't hear anyone call me that. She did say, "OOOO-ma" when she was upset at me.

Becca's first 2-word sentences, said shortly after turning two, were "ride car" and "play outside". Becca's first more complete sentences, which followed soon thereafter, were "Who say woof-woof?" (if she heard barking in the distance) and "I see you, doggy."

Becca turned out to be a very verbal child. When tested by a developmental psychologist a few months after she arrived home, she was found to be AHEAD of her age in receptive language -- UNDERSTANDING ENGLISH -- and only slightly delayed in speech.

She tended to have few of the speech sound problems of many toddlers. As an example, she always said "R" properly; it never came out as "W". Once in a while, she confused "Y" and "L" -- as in "yeyo" instead of "yellow" -- but it was pretty rare. She was surprisingly easy to understand, even by people other than me.

And once she started using sentences, it sometimes seemed as if she talked from the minute she got up until the minute she fell asleep.

I have no idea what my first words were, but my mother always said that I was "vaccinated with a phonograph needle", meaning that I talked early and often.

I am a firm believer in "adoption genetics." My daughter definitely took after me in this respect. Now 13, she is also an advanced reader, like I was. She reads mostly adult books, with good comprehension and critical thinking. As an example, she was fascinated, recently, to read "Born on a Blue Day", an autobiography of a high-functioning autistic person.

Sharon