Language Disorder News and Research

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US Medicaid data finds buprenorphine safe for long-term child development

Children born to mothers who used buprenorphine for opioid addiction during pregnancy do not have a greater risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ADHD and autism, compared with children whose mothers took methadone, finds a large US study published by The BMJ today.

17 Apr 2026

AI and genetics reveal new insights into human language development

Learning French, reading the latest Andy Weir novel, hanging out with friends for St. Patrick's Day - language is central to all these everyday activities.

10 Mar 2026

Remote cognitive and occupational therapy shows promise for improving stroke recovery

In the U.S., a stroke happens roughly every 40 seconds. That means, in the time it takes to read a five-minute news article, more than seven Americans will have experienced this life-changing medical event, which is a leading cause of death and serious long-term disability across the country.

29 Jan 2026

Stroke impacts speech sound integration, not speed, study reveals

Following stroke, some people experience a language disorder that hinders their ability to process speech sounds.

30 Dec 2025

Genetic and behavioral link found between musicality and language skills

In a paper published in Nature Communications, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery leveraged two main studies - one focused on behavior and one focused on genetics - to highlight the correlation between participants' musical rhythm abilities and developmental speech-language disorders.

3 Oct 2025

Gestures and speech rhythms can help improve comprehension in children with language difficulties

Developmental language disorder (DLD) affects around two children in each class. It hinders their acquisition and use of language, even if they do not have other auditory, intellectual or neurological problems, and are only affected in this aspect of language.

23 Sep 2025

New research calls for updated definition of dyslexia

A new definition of dyslexia is needed to more accurately describe the learning disorder and give those struggling with dyslexia the specific support they require, says new research.

26 Feb 2025

Study identifies brain regions for speech production in aphasia patients

Imagine seeing a furry, four-legged animal that meows. Mentally, you know what it is, but the word "cat" is stuck on the tip of your tongue.

13 Feb 2025

Brain region associated with movement found to be abnormal in children with developmental language disorder

A rigorous analysis of numerous studies concludes that a part of the brain traditionally associated with movement is abnormal in children with developmental language impairments, according to Georgetown University Medical Center neuroscientists.

15 Mar 2024

Rhythmic speech, not phonetics, key to language learning in babies

Parents should speak to their babies using sing-song speech, like nursery rhymes, as soon as possible, say researchers.

1 Dec 2023

Study tests recast therapy for bilingual children with developmental language disorder

Amanda Owen Van Horne sits on the floor while a child mixes up cake batter in a play kitchen.

19 Oct 2023

Eye-tracking technology can help improve quality of life assessment for older people with dementia

More than 50% of Australians living in residential aged care facilities have a dementia diagnosis, with aged care services around the world preparing for the number of older people aged 65 years and above to double in the next 30 years.

8 Sep 2023

COVID-19 led to increased anxiety for families with children with neurodevelopmental conditions

A peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Global Health analyzed data from more than 6,600 families with a child with a neurodevelopmental condition (NDC) - autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, developmental language disorder, Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, and intellectual disability - from 70 countries, including the United States.

31 Jul 2023

Diagnosis of developmental language disorders in girls made more difficult by sexist myths or stereotypes

Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a problem involving the acquisition and development of language, and children with it experience difficulties speaking, communicating, understanding and expressing themselves.

6 Feb 2023

How to improve American students' math skills

In the past two decades, researchers have made great strides in uncovering how children learn math, but little of that new knowledge has trickled down to teachers, according to a new book on math education.

9 Jan 2023

HU begins human trial for promising treatment to reverse paralysis and language disorder after stroke

Hiroshima University started the human trial for a promising treatment that offers hope in potentially reversing paralysis and language disorder after moderate to severe stroke using therapeutically superior mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from the cranial bone.

1 Dec 2022

Gestures can help to get the message across for people with language disorders

When words fail, gestures can help to get the message across - especially for people who have a language disorder. An international research team has now shown that listeners attend the gestures of people with aphasia more often and for much longer than previously thought. This has implications for the use of gestures in speech therapy.

7 Jul 2022

Evidence COVID in pregnancy can affect offspring's neurodevelopment

In a recent study published in the Jama Network Open journal, researchers investigated the impact of in utero exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the neurodevelopment of infants.

15 Jun 2022

Study analyzes emotional regulation in children diagnosed with SLI/DLD

Problems when talking, communicating and expressing feelings are common among children and adolescents, in particular at an early age. These difficulties increase in the case of those diagnosed with developmental language disorder, which affects approximately 7% of the child population.

18 Jan 2022

People with multiple sclerosis experience subtle language impairments, study shows

Kessler Foundation researchers showed that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience subtle language impairments that standard neuropsychological tests may incorrectly attribute to impaired executive functions.

22 Apr 2021