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Dr. Elena Tribushinina is an Associate Professor at Utrecht University's Department of Languages, Literature and Communication , affiliated with the Institute for Language Sciences . Her expertise spans Child Multilingualism , Developmental Language Disorders , and Foreign Language Pedagogy , with a focus on educational interventions and cognitive mechanisms in language acquisition. Research Themes : Language Acquisition, Processing, and Disorders; Dynamics of Youth (DoY). Teaching : Courses in English Language and Culture (BA/MA), Multilingualism, and Topics in Language Acquisition. Her research investigates how bilingualism and language disorders interact in foreign language learning, using eye-tracking and intervention studies to differentiate between bilingual and DLD profiles. Recent projects include CodeTaal App for DLD children and support for Ukrainian refugee pupils. Key publication trends (2022–2025) reveal a focus on bilingual advantages , cross-linguistic transfer , connectives in discourse , and explicit instruction strategies for learners with DLD or dyslexia. She collaborates with institutions in Alberta , Antwerp , and Russia . She leads the research group Language Acquisition, Processing and Disorders and serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Child Language . Her methodological toolkit includes eye-tracking , longitudinal studies , and meta-analyses of pedagogical interventions.

• First Language Acquisition
• Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
• Second Language Acquisition
• +5 more

Dr. Rob Zwitserlood is an Affiliated Researcher at the Humanities Institute for Language Sciences at Utrecht University and Senior Researcher at the Hogeschool Utrecht, Lectoraat Logopedie: Participatie door Communicatie . He has over 30 years of experience in special education for children with Developmental Language Disorders (DLD) at the Royal Dutch Auris Group. His research focuses on diagnostics, interventions, and metalinguistic therapies for DLD/Speech-Language Impairment (SLI). Education : Supervised MA/BA students in Speech Therapy Science, focusing on pronoun errors, narrative skills, and dummy verbs in SLI children. Research Interests : Morphosyntactic development, speech disfluency, metalinguistic training, and tablet-based interventions for DLD children. Activities : Invited speaker at international conferences (European Speech and Language Association, IASCL), organizer of academic events, and presenter of randomized controlled trials on language therapy tools.

• Language Acquisition
• Speech and Language Processing
• Developmental Language Disorders (DLD)
• +5 more

Prof. Dr. Elma Blom is a Professor of Language Development and Multilingualism in Family and Educational Contexts at Utrecht University's Department of Development & Education of Youth in Diverse Societies. She leads major research initiatives such as the NWO-Vici funded CALM project (Children and Language Mixing) and the Multi-STEM consortium addressing multilingual STEM education challenges. Her work focuses on multilingual children’s language acquisition, developmental language disorders (DLD), and the interplay between language environments and cognitive development. Blom holds a Vici grant from NWO and has conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Amsterdam and the University of Alberta. She is affiliated with the UiT AcqVA Aurora Center in Norway. Key research themes include language mixing in bilingual children, diagnostic tools for DLD in multilingual populations, and the role of home language in education. She advocates for translanguaging practices in STEM and science museums to support multilingual learners. Her research has been published in over 50 peer-reviewed articles across linguistics, education, and developmental psychology. She actively communicates findings through public lectures, podcasts (e.g., Kletsheads), and collaborations with media outlets like Kennislink.

• Multilingualism
• Language Development
• Language Disorders
• +4 more

Dr. Tessel Boerma is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Languages, Literature and Communication, Faculty of Humanities, Utrecht University, and a researcher at the University Medical Center Utrecht. Her work focuses on language development in challenging contexts, including environmental factors and congenital conditions like 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, with a strong emphasis on clinical linguistics and early childhood development. Investigated language and cognitive development in monolingual/multilingual children with/without developmental language disorders (DLD). Developed and implemented the online test battery LITMUS-NL for diagnosing DLD in multilingual children. Explores the interplay between language skills, cognitive development, and mental health in adolescents with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Her research bridges linguistics, psychology, and medical sciences, often in interdisciplinary collaborations under the Dynamics of Youth (DoY) initiative. She supervises PhD projects and contributes to improving clinical diagnostic tools for language disorders. Scientific Awards: VENI-grant from NWO (project: language ability in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and mental health). Open Competition-XS grant from NWO (project: language skills in preterm children). Anéla-AVT Dissertation Prize (for her PhD thesis on multilingual DLD). Boerma lectures on clinical linguistics, language and cognition, and multilingual development, while organizing conferences like TaalStaal and BiSLI to advance research in bilingual language disorders.

• Language Acquisition
• Language Development
• Developmental Language Disorders
• +5 more

Prof. dr. Judith Rispens is a Professor in Dutch Linguistics at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Amsterdam . Her research focuses on the intersection of language acquisition, statistical learning, and developmental disorders such as dyslexia and developmental language disorder (DLD). She employs experimental and neurocognitive methods, including ERP and MMN responses, to investigate how children and adults process language and acquire linguistic structures. Email: J.E.Rispens@uva.nl Office: Spuistraat 134, Room 417, Amsterdam Research interests include: Statistical learning mechanisms in language acquisition Neurocognitive processes in developmental dyslexia and DLD Second language learning (L2) and cross-linguistic studies Pragmatic abilities in multilingual exposure Computational modeling of language acquisition Her recent work explores how input consistency and speaker informativity influence word learning, with a focus on children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Publications span topics like morphological processing, grammatical proficiency, and the role of memory in language acquisition.

• Language Acquisition
• Statistical Learning
• Developmental Dyslexia
• +4 more

Margreet Luinge is a Professor at Hanze University of Applied Sciences, holding roles in the Centre of Expertise Healthy Ageing. Her academic titles include Language Function & Healthy Ageing Professor, Youth, Education and Society Professor, and Healthy Ageing, Allied Health Care and Nursing Professor. She focuses on developmental disorders, language development, and pediatric speech-language therapy, with a strong emphasis on systematic reviews and evidence-based interventions. Her research interests span auditory processing disorders, motor and language skill overlaps in developmental conditions (e.g., DCD and DLD), and educational practices. She has led multiple projects, including BEPTOS (movement and speech in children with developmental disorders) and Measuring communicative participation by PROMs in speech therapy. Her recent articles highlight interdisciplinary approaches to child development, such as shared decision-making in therapy and poetry’s role in education. She has received the NITPB proefschriftprijs and Stichting Atze Spoorprijs (2005). Her work bridges clinical practice, education, and public health, emphasizing early intervention and contextual factors influencing communicative participation. Awards: NITPB proefschriftprijs (2005) Stichting Atze Spoorprijs (2005) Key Projects: BEPTOS: Movement and speech in children with language and motor disorders (2022–ongoing) Measuring communicative participation via Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (2021–2025)

• Developmental Disorders
• Language Development
• Speech and Language Therapy
• +6 more

Dr. Emma Everaert is a Researcher at the Department of Languages, Literature and Communication within Utrecht University , and currently holds a post-doc position at the Institute of Education and Child Studies at Leiden University . Her work focuses on the interplay between language development , executive functions , and neurodevelopmental disorders , particularly in children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and those born extremely preterm . Her research explores genetic etiology in language disorders, cognitive-linguistic relationships , and early intervention strategies . Recent projects include a meta-analysis on executive functions and academic skills , and a NWO-funded study on brain-to-behavioral cascades in preterm children. She has presented extensively at international conferences, including the 12th Biennial International 22q11.2 Conference and the International Association for the Study of Child Language . Emma's publications (2017–2023) reveal trends in comparative developmental research , emphasizing genetic homogeneity models , neurocognitive assessment , and clinical implications for speech therapists. She is actively involved in knowledge dissemination, co-authoring practitioner guides and organizing the 3T research initiative.

• Language Development
• Executive Functions
• Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
• +4 more

Merel van Witteloostuijn is an Assistant Professor at the Development & Education of Youth in Diverse Societies department, affiliated with the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at Utrecht University . She holds a Research Master in Linguistics (cum laude) from Utrecht University (2013) and a PhD from the University of Amsterdam (2020). Education: Bachelor's in Linguistics, Utrecht University (2013) Research Master in Linguistics (cum laude), Utrecht University (2013) PhD in Linguistics, University of Amsterdam (2020) Her research focuses on language and literacy development in neurodiverse children and multilingual contexts, with a particular emphasis on Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) . She actively contributes to the CALM (Children and Language Mixing) project (NWO Vici) and advocates for Open Science practices, including open data and pre-registration. Merel has received a prestigious Veni grant (NWO, 2024) to study the interplay between parent-child interaction, screen time, and language development in children with and without DLD. Her work spans both empirical research and pedagogical outreach, including presentations at professional conferences ( TOS Congres 2024 , TaalStaal 2024 ) and public engagement via blogs on early childhood language interactions. She teaches at the bachelor's and master's levels and supervises theses and internships. Scientific Awards: Veni grant (NWO, 2024) Merel's skills include statistical analysis using R and advancing Open Science principles as a member of the Open Science Community Utrecht . Her research bridges theoretical inquiry and applied educational strategies, particularly for multilingual and neurodiverse youth.

• Language Development
• Language Impairments
• Statistical Learning
• +3 more