Understanding how children with and without language disorders process speech disfluencies.

Listening to and Learning from Disfluent Speech in Children with and without Developmental Language Disorder

NIH-funded research University of Wisconsin-Madison · NIH-11004259

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 typeFellowship grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Madison, United States)
Project IDNIH-11004259 on NIH RePORTER

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.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for participation include children aged 0-11 years, particularly those diagnosed with developmental language disorder or those who are bilingual.

Not a fit: Children who do not have language processing challenges or who are not within the specified age range may not benefit from this research.

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 performed: 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

Madison, 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.
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.