Why girls with language problems get fewer school services than boys
Official title: Sex and Gender Differences in Language Impairment, Disability, and Service Receipt
Funded at Father Flanagan's Boys' Home · NIH-11390946 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at why girls with developmental language disorder often receive fewer school speech-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) | $30,821 |
| NIH project number | 3R01DC021428-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11390946 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are school-aged children with developmental language disorder (and their families), and children whose school records are part of the dataset.
✕Less likely to help
Adults without a history of childhood language impairment or children whose language problems are not related to developmental language disorder may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
If your child has language difficulties, this work looks at whether girls are less likely than boys to get services and why. The team will analyze school records for more than 1.6 million children to map who receives services, when, and what types. They will also do detailed language and temperament testing in about 132 children with developmental language disorder to see if girls' behavior masks needs or if their needs differ. The project compares whether gaps come from fewer needs, later needs, different services, or missed needs due to gendered expectations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help schools identify girls with language impairments earlier and make sure they receive appropriate services.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has documented service-rate differences and some temperament links, but combining nationwide school records with focused child testing is a relatively new and promising 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.