The Child Language Assessment Project (CLASP) is a five-year research project, funded by the NIDCD. Team members are re-evaluating measures used in assessment of children's spoken and written language samples (Language Sample Analysis/LSA), and creating algorithms for bias-free assessment of samples from children who speak non-mainstream dialects of American English. We are analyzing the existing corpora online, in the CHILDES database, and also collecting new data from around the country. We aim to gain a greater understanding of non-mainstream dialects of American English to develop norms for speakers of these dialects. Our ultimate goal is to create clinician-friendly software to help speech-language pathologists analyze language samples so they may differentiate between difference and disorder.

This research is being conducted by Dr. Nan Bernstein Ratner at the University of Maryland, College Park and Dr. Brian MacWhinney at Carnegie-Mellon University.  

Additional Consultants include:
Dr. Barbara Zurer Pearson
https://www.umass.edu/aae/bp_indexold.htm

Dr. Monique Mills
https://www.uh.edu/class/comd/people/faculty-staff/mills.php

Dr. Jan Edwards
https://hesp.umd.edu/facultyprofile/edwards/jan
​
If you are interested in participating, please click here.

---

RESOURCES

CHILDES English - North American data
​https://childes.talkbank.org/access/Eng-NA/

Research articles on child language acquisition/disorders  
http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=Nan+Bernstein+Ratner&btnG=&as_sdt=1%2…

---

Grants to support the Child Language Assessment Project (CLASP) come from: 

• NIDCD: 1R01DC016076-01(Nan Bernstein Ratner, PI): 2018-2025) Validation and norming of children's expressive language sample analysis measures 
• NIDCD 3R01DC017152-05S1. (Nan Bernstein Ratner, PI); 2023-2025. TALK: Tackling Acquisition of Language in Kids – predictors of recovery from late talking in toddlers