Examining how language proficiency affects treatment outcomes in bilingual children with language disorders
Official title: The Relationship Between Child Language Proficiency and Language of Treatment on the Outcomes of Bilingual Children with Developmental Language Disorder
Run by University of Houston · NCT06085300 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests whether bilingual children with language disorders do better with treatment that uses both English and Spanish compared to treatment that focuses on just one language.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 4 Years to 6 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 120 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Houston Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Houston, Texas) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | August 8, 2023 |
| Main results expected | May 1, 2028 |
| Study ends | May 1, 2028 |
| Registry record updated | January 14, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT06085300 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates for this study are bilingual children aged 4 to 6 who exhibit language impairments and meet specific proficiency criteria in both English and Spanish.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients who are monolingual or do not meet the language proficiency criteria may not benefit from this study.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This study investigates the impact of language proficiency on treatment outcomes for bilingual children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). It compares monolingual interventions in English and Spanish with bilingual interventions that alternate between the two languages. The goal is to determine which approach leads to better language development and academic success. By analyzing the relationship between a child's proficiency in each language and their treatment outcomes, the study aims to provide guidance for speech language pathologists working with bilingual children.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this study could provide evidence-based recommendations for effective treatment strategies for bilingual children with language disorders.
How similar studies have gone: While there is some evidence of cross-linguistic transfer in language treatment, this specific approach to bilingual intervention in children with DLD is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. parent concerns and/or a history of receiving services in the public schools 2. age-specific cutoffs for the morphosyntax subtests for their best language (English or Spanish) on the Bilingual English Spanish Assessment. The cut-off score for best language for 4-year-olds is 84, for 5-year-olds is 85, and for 6-year-olds is 81. Using the best-language approach, these scores have a sensitivity over 90% and specificity over 80% for children between 4;0 and 6;11 years of age , which is considered acceptable for studies of diagnostic accuracy. 3. nonverbal IQ, as measured by the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test-2, matrices subtest, will be at or above a standard score of 70. 4. pass a hearing screening test 5. participants must be bilingual, that is children must be producing at least simple sentences in spontaneous speech in both Spanish and English, or understand English and Spanish. 6. participants must be able to benefit from treatment for both conditional adverbial clauses and complement clauses, as evidenced by accuracy below 40% on 10-item elicited production probes in both languages Exclusion Criteria: * 1\) children with significant sensory-motor concerns or psychiatric disorders per parent report will not be enrolled.
Where it's running
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School Districst
Houston, Texas, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Anny Castilla-Earls
- Email: annycastilla@uh.edu
- Phone: 713-743-0488
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
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Examining language treatment for bilingual children with language disorders
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Early Achievements: Building Early Language and Literacy Skills for Pre-K Children
This project will test a teacher training program to see if teaching pre-K teachers language-rich literacy strategies helps children with and without developmental language disorder improve vocabulary, syntax, story skills, and listening comprehension.
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.