Understanding how hearing loss affects language processing in children
Official title: Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Language Processing in School-Age Children with Mild-to-Severe Hearing Loss
Funded at Father Flanagan's Boys' Home · NIH-11063840 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how hearing loss affects language development in kids who wear hearing aids, aiming to understand why some children with hearing difficulties are better at learning language than others.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Father Flanagan's Boys' Home NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boys Town, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $202,550 |
| NIH project number | 5R21DC020270-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11063840 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are school-age children with mild-to-severe hearing loss who use hearing aids.
✕Less likely to help
Children with normal hearing or those who do not use hearing aids may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the relationship between hearing loss and language development in school-age children. It focuses on children with mild-to-severe hearing loss who use hearing aids, examining how different levels of auditory access impact their language skills and brain activity. Using advanced imaging techniques, the study aims to uncover the neural dynamics involved in language processing and how they relate to the degree of hearing impairment. The findings could help identify why some children with hearing loss perform better than others in language acquisition.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved interventions and support strategies for children with hearing loss, enhancing their language skills and educational outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding language processing in children with hearing loss, making this approach both relevant and potentially impactful.
Where this research is happening
-
Father Flanagan's Boys' Home
Boys Town, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Heinrichs-Graham, Elizabeth — Father Flanagan's Boys' Home
- Study coordinator: Heinrichs-Graham, Elizabeth
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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.