Building Bridges to Better Language for Bilingual Toddlers
Official title: Building Bridges: Collaboration and Partnership to Support Late-Talking Bilingual Toddlers
Funded at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign · NIH-11427165 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A short, friendly program helps families and early intervention providers work together to set language goals for bilingual toddlers who are late talkers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Champaign, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $450,993 |
| NIH project number | 1R21DC023849-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11427165 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are bilingual children aged around 3 with delayed speech and their families, plus EI providers serving them.
✕Less likely to help
Families not involved in EI services or children whose language delay is not related to bilingual development may see limited benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on bilingual children around age 3 who speak more than one language and show late speech development. Researchers will explore how families and early intervention professionals, like speech-language pathologists, create goals for language growth during IFSP planning. The team will identify what helps or hinders collaborative goal setting and develop practical solutions with families and providers. The work aims to improve language outcomes by aligning goals with families’ values and priorities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could lead to more effective, family-centered language intervention for bilingual toddlers.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows collaborative goal-setting is important, but this project tests specific family-provider solutions in bilingual late talkers.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yang, Hsiu-Wen — University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Study coordinator: Yang, Hsiu-Wen
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.