Improving feedback to help children with developmental language disorder

Optimizing feedback-based learning in children with developmentallanguage disorder.

NIH-funded research Mgh Institute of Health Professions · NIH-11259576

This project tries changing when and how feedback is given to help young children with developmental language disorder learn language skills more effectively.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionMgh Institute of Health Professions NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Charlestown, UNITED STATES)
Project IDNIH-11259576 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

As a parent, you would be asked to bring your child with developmental language disorder to therapy sessions where clinicians use different feedback methods. The researchers will compare immediate versus short-delayed feedback and prompt-based active self-correction versus passive corrective input. They will track how these approaches affect children's ability to learn and remember new language forms across multiple sessions. The work focuses on young children (up to about 11 years old) and measures which feedback conditions boost learning.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Children up to about 11 years old diagnosed with developmental language disorder who can attend in-person sessions at the study site are ideal candidates.

Not a fit: Children without developmental language disorder, adults, or those whose language problems are primarily due to other medical or sensory conditions are unlikely to benefit from this specific feedback-focused approach.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make speech-language therapy more effective by matching feedback methods to how children with DLD learn best.

How similar studies have performed: Prior studies indicate feedback timing and active correction can influence learning, but applying these exact strategies to improve language outcomes in DLD is a relatively new approach.

Where this research is happening

Charlestown, 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 Developmental Disorder Speech or LanguageDevelopmental Language DisordersDiseaseDisorder
Last reviewed 2026-06-09 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.