How language proficiency affects treatment outcomes in bilingual children with language disorders

The relationship between child language proficiency and language of treatment on the outcomes of bilingual children with developmental language disorder

NIH-funded research University of Houston · NIH-11073019

This study looks at how well bilingual kids with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) do in therapy when it's given in Spanish or English, to find out which language helps them improve the most based on how good they are in each language.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Houston NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Houston, United States)
Project IDNIH-11073019 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research investigates how the language proficiency of bilingual children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) influences their treatment outcomes when receiving therapy in either Spanish or English. The study aims to determine the most effective language of intervention for these children, considering their proficiency levels in both languages. By examining the relationship between language treatment and proficiency, the research seeks to provide insights that can help Speech Language Pathologists tailor their approaches to better serve bilingual children. The methodology includes assessing language gains and exploring cross-linguistic transfer effects during treatment.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are bilingual children aged 0-11 years who have been diagnosed with Developmental Language Disorder.

Not a fit: Patients who are monolingual or do not have a diagnosis of Developmental Language Disorder may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective treatment strategies for bilingual children with language disorders, improving their language development and academic achievement.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding language treatment outcomes in bilingual populations, suggesting that this approach could yield valuable insights.

Where this research is happening

Houston, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions autism spectral disorderautism spectrum disorderAutistic Disorderautistic spectrum disorder
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.