Bilingual children with developmental language disorder: how two languages shape brain development
Official title: Bilingual Children with DLD: A Neurodevelopmental Perspective
Funded at University of Texas Dallas · NIH-11532085 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study with bilingual kids who have developmental language disorder to see how knowing two languages affects their brain and language skills.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Dallas NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richardson, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $538,675 |
| NIH project number | 7R01HD109224-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11532085 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are children aged 0-11 with developmental language disorder who are bilingual in English and another language.
✕Less likely to help
Children without DLD or who are monolingual are less likely to directly benefit from this study.
What this research studies
This project follows bilingual children with DLD as they learn and use English and another language. Researchers will combine behavioral tests with a brain-imaging technique called fNIRS to explore how two languages interact in the developing brain. The goal is to understand whether bilingual experiences strengthen language-specific brain networks and improve syntactic and semantic abilities. Results could inform clinicians about language therapy approaches tailored to linguistically diverse children.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings may guide more effective, language-rich interventions for bilingual children with DLD.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work suggests bilingual experiences can shape language-related brain networks, though this specific DLD-focused approach is exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas Dallas
Richardson, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kovelman, Ioulia — University of Texas Dallas
- Study coordinator: Kovelman, Ioulia
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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.