Helping children of parents with substance use disorders improve early language skills
Official title: Evidence-based intervention enhancements to reduce language delays and disorders among children of parents with substance use disorders
Funded at University of Oregon · NIH-11238887 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether adding one-on-one parent coaching to group language programs helps infants and young children of parents with substance use disorders build stronger early language skills.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Oregon NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Eugene, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $744,540 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DC022028-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11238887 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are infants and young children (early childhood through early elementary years) whose parent or caregiver has a substance use disorder and who are willing to take part in program sessions through their treatment provider.
✕Less likely to help
Children without a parent with SUD, older children beyond the targeted age range, or those who already need intensive clinical speech-language services may not benefit from this program.
What this research studies
If your family is affected by substance use, this project will bring language support into the places you already go for SUD services. Families will be offered group-based language programs delivered by trusted providers, and some parents will also receive individualized coaching and lessons to use at home. Researchers will compare outcomes for children whose parents get group-only support versus group plus individual parent coaching to see which helps language development more. The program focuses on culturally responsive delivery and reaching families in rural or language-minoritized communities to make services easier to access.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help more children of parents with SUD get early language help and reduce delays that lead to long-term learning problems.
How similar studies have gone: Group-based parent-mediated language interventions have improved child language in prior work, but adding individualized parent coaching for families affected by SUD is a new approach being tested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Oregon
Eugene, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: De Anda, Stephanie — University of Oregon
- Study coordinator: De Anda, Stephanie
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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.