School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences offers interdisciplinary study in child language development and disorders (CLDD) within the doctoral program in Human Development and Communication Sciences. Students may select from the School's existing coursework and research opportunities in communication sciences, developmental psychology and neuroscience and cognition a sequence of experiences focused on normal and atypical language in children. Interdisciplinary study in CLDD capitalizes on the strengths and research interests of a group of scientists who conduct research in the different domains that inform the major theoretical and applied questions in this challenging field of inquiry.

Student Training
In addition to the standard core curriculum, an essential part of student training is a research apprenticeship. Students will be expected to work on one or more research or educational projects, either as members of an ongoing group or independently, with the guidance of their advisor or another faculty member. Faculty members are prepared to mentor students on a variety of research topics related to Child Language Development and Disorders. Students are encouraged to participate in several weekly and biweekly seminars including the Human Development Colloquium Series and the Human Development Brown Bag. In addition, the Reading Group in CLDD brings together faculty and students in an informal atmosphere to discuss major theoretical, methodological and professional issues relevant to child language.