Anxiety in children with reading disabilities
Official title: Identifying the correlates and trajectory of academic and clinical anxiety symptoms in children with reading disabilities
Funded at University of Colorado · NIH-11145874 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how anxiety develops and connects to reading and school skills in children with reading disabilities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boulder, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | December 1, 1996 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $199,738 |
| NIH project number | 5P50HD027802-33 |
| Project ID | NIH-11145874 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children roughly ages 6 to 17 with diagnosed or suspected reading disabilities, especially those seen at or able to visit the University of Colorado clinics or enrolled in the regional community cohort.
✕Less likely to help
Children without reading difficulties or whose anxiety does not relate to academic challenges are unlikely to directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If your child has trouble reading, this project follows children over time to see how anxiety symptoms start and change and how they relate to schoolwork and thinking skills. The team will study two groups: about 600 children referred to university neuropsychology clinics (ages 6–17) and about 230 children from the community who were first enrolled at 8–12 and will be followed again at 13–17. Researchers will separate different types of anxiety, compare academic and cognitive measures, and map symptom paths across years. The goal is to find early signs and practical targets that could help screen for or prevent anxiety in children with reading difficulties.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify early warning signs and target points for better screening, prevention, or treatment of anxiety in children with reading problems.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies show higher anxiety rates among children with reading disabilities, but comprehensive long-term tracking and detailed subtype work like this is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Colorado
Boulder, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcgrath, Lauren M — University of Colorado
- Study coordinator: Mcgrath, Lauren M
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.