Understanding communication in Black children who are late talkers
Official title: Characterizing Late Talker Communication with Black Caregivers
Funded at University of Texas at Austin · NIH-11031093 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how Black caregivers view their children's communication and language development when those kids are late talkers, aiming to better understand their experiences and avoid misdiagnosing them due to cultural differences.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas at Austin NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Austin, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $434,229 |
| NIH project number | 1R21DC022347-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11031093 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are Black children aged 0-11 years who are identified as late talkers, along with their caregivers.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not identify as Black or who do not have concerns about late language emergence may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how Black caregivers perceive communication and language development in their children who are identified as late talkers. It aims to address the risk of misdiagnosis in Black children due to cultural differences in communication practices. By using video-cued ethnography, the study will gather qualitative insights from caregivers alongside quantitative assessments of the children's language skills. This mixed-methods approach will help create more culturally relevant criteria for identifying late talkers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved assessment tools that accurately reflect the communication practices of Black families, reducing the risk of misdiagnosis for their children.
How similar studies have gone: While there is ongoing research into culturally responsive assessment practices, this specific approach focusing on Black caregivers' perspectives is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Privette, Chelsea — University of Texas at Austin
- Study coordinator: Privette, Chelsea
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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.