Why girls with language difficulties get fewer school language services than boys
Official title: Sex Differences in Language Impairment, Disability, and Service Receipt
Funded at Father Flanagan's Boys' Home · NIH-11173882 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at differences between girls and boys with developmental language problems to understand why girls often receive fewer school language services than boys.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 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 | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $483,725 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DC021428-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11173882 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are children with developmental language disorder or caregivers and school records for school-aged children who may be receiving or missing language services.
✕Less likely to help
People without language difficulties or whose language needs are already fully met by services are unlikely to benefit directly from participating.
What this research studies
I would learn how the team uses school records and clinical tests to compare who gets language support at school. They will analyze over 1.6 million children’s academic records to see whether service differences come from different levels of disability, timing, or types of services. The team will also measure language ability, disability, and temperament in a group of children with developmental language disorder to see if girls mask problems or cope differently. Together these approaches aim to explain whether girls are missed, need later services, or simply need different kinds of help.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help schools spot and get language help to girls who are currently overlooked.
How similar studies have gone: Past population studies show similar rates of developmental language disorder in boys and girls while school data show more boys receiving services, and combining huge school records with direct temperament and clinical testing is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Father Flanagan's Boys' Home
Boys Town, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcgregor, Karla — Father Flanagan's Boys' Home
- Study coordinator: Mcgregor, Karla
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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.