For Parents
Can my child participate in your studies?
They may be eligible to participate in a research study of the effect of delivering language intervention during science instruction. Researchers at the TELL Lab are looking for children ages 4 to 9 who have language delays or disorders. For most of our studies we are looking for children who speak English as their first language. Children may not have a diagnosis of autism, hearing loss, or cognitive impairment. Find out more about our current studies or contact us if you are interested in participating in our research projects.
Do we have to come to the UD STAR Campus?
Our studies are currently conducted entirely via Zoom and internet tools. We are not doing in person treatment right now and instead are adopting a tele-health model. Our researcher team is experienced at working with children and families over Zoom. For some studies we will mail you materials to help keep your child engaged (e.g., headphones, books, etc)
What if I don’t have the technology to participate online?
If you live within a reasonable driving radius of the University of Delaware, we can loan you equipment! In some cases we may be able to provide hotspots or ethernet cords or partner with area providers to support your participation. If you are interested in one of our online studies, please contact us to learn more. We are happy to help you troubleshoot any technology issues you may have. Our goal is to make participation possible for any family with an eligible child.
What will happen during the study?
Children participate in 1-3 screening visit(s) to determine if your child has a language disorder and no other significant difficulties. If children are eligible for the teletherapy studies, we will check in again and ensure that you want your child to participate. If you wish to continue, we meet for 2 – 3 more pre-test visits, including study specific assessments. Eligible children then attend 12-16 treatment visits (2x/week) spread over 6-10 weeks. Treatment visits will vary from study-to-study but they all involve language intervention delivered by a clinician licensed in the state of Delaware. In some cases we may ask you – the parent – to deliver intervention at home after we teach you how or we may ask you to read books to your child or have your child listen to computer-read books. Then, children complete 2 – 3 post-test visits so we can see what they have learned.