Caregiver language input during remote book-sharing to help toddlers with cleft lip/palate
Official title: Analyzing caregiver linguistic input during a remote dialogic book-sharing interventions for toddlers with clefts.
Funded at San Jose State University · NIH-11359855 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how the language and gestures used by caregivers during online book-sharing with toddlers who have cleft lip/palate might support the child’s speech and language development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R15 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | San Jose State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Jose, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $530,367 |
| NIH project number | 1R15DC023676-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11359855 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are toddlers with cleft palate with or without cleft lip and their primary caregivers who participate in a remote DBS program.
✕Less likely to help
Children without access to the DBS program or whose families cannot participate remotely may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Parents and caregivers will participate in a remote dialogic book-sharing program with toddlers who have cleft lip/palate. The study will record and analyze video interactions across five timepoints to understand how caregiver speech, gestures, and pacing relate to the child’s language growth. Researchers will transcribe the interactions, code different types of language input, and examine how gestural communication may support vocabulary development. The findings could clarify the mechanisms by which caregiver involvement supports language outcomes and inform better caregiver guidance in early intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the study could identify caregiver strategies that most effectively boost speech and language development in children with cleft lip/palate.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests caregiver language input can support child language development, but this study adds novel emphasis on gestural communication in CP±L.
Where this research is happening
-
San Jose State University
San Jose, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chong, Li Shen — San Jose State University
- Study coordinator: Chong, Li Shen
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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.