Understanding how children with and without language disorders process speech disfluencies.
Official title: Listening to and Learning from Disfluent Speech in Children with and without Developmental Language Disorder
Funded at University of Wisconsin-Madison · NIH-11004259 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how kids, with and without language challenges, understand speech pauses like 'uh' and 'um', to help us learn more about how these sounds affect their language learning and could lead to better ways to support children who struggle with talking.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Fellowship grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $36,579 |
| NIH project number | 5F31DC021386-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11004259 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for participation include children aged 0-11 years, particularly those diagnosed with developmental language disorder or those who are bilingual.
✕Less likely to help
Children who do not have language processing challenges or who are not within the specified age range may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how children, both with and without developmental language disorder (DLD), comprehend speech disfluencies like 'uh' and 'um'. It aims to understand the cognitive mechanisms behind these speech patterns and their impact on language learning. By examining both monolingual and bilingual children, the study will explore how these disfluencies signal upcoming challenges in language retrieval. The findings could provide insights into improving language acquisition strategies for children facing language difficulties.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could enhance language learning approaches for children with developmental language disorders, potentially improving their educational and social outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in understanding language processing in monolinguals, but this approach is novel in its focus on bilingual children and the role of disfluencies.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Libersky, Emma Jane — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Libersky, Emma Jane
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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.