Texas Center for Learning Disabilities

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The purpose of this supplemental application is to close out the Learning Disability Research Center at The University of Houston funded since 2006. We were unsuccessful in renewing the Center for a fourth funding cycle and are faced with completing and closing out a large number of activities by the end of the current no cost extension that expires 12/31/2023. The Center’s research was severely disrupted by school closures due to covid-19 and while we were able to modify the projects and complete an additional year of active data collection, the schools are difficult environments and collection of thee full data set from Year 5 has been slow, especially for archival data needed from the schools. We also pivoted the genetics study from primary epigenetic studies of two longitudinal cohorts to include full genetic sequencing of a large sample of English learners with reading problems, representing a major analysis of an understudied group of adolescents that we have not been able to adequately budget. We also have work to do to comply with NIH data sharing requirements and need to support faculty and staff who were counting on continued funding of the center as they transition off Center funding onto other jobs and projects. We are only asking salary support for individuals who are research faculty and trainees who cannot be fully supported by the remaining funds on the NCE. The purpose of the funded proposal was focus in Years 11-16 on persistent reading difficulties in a historically underserved group, English learners (Els). We characterize the sample as a complex phenotype and evaluate variations in math and written expression, as well as ADHD behavior and language proficiency. The proposed research uses multiple methodologies from cognitive and educational science, neuroimaging, genetics, and contemporary met methodologies. The central theme is that instructional response operationalizes the historically prominent component of the LD construct, “unexpected underachievement.” Instructional response must be evaluated in children broadly representative of diverse backgrounds who are persistently impaired in academic skills and respond inadequately to instruction. To establish a reliable and valid classification of LDs, and understand cognitive, linguistic, neural, and genetic influences on LDs and instructional response, individual differences in instructional response should be systematically studied from multidisciplinary perspectives. We propose 5 Projects and 4 Cores. Project 1 (Integration) continues the past 5 years of integrative research on classification issues through evaluation of actual and simulated data, but in an El sample. It synthesizes empirical literature and conducts cross-project analyses. Project 2 (Attention) evaluates behavioral and cognitive attention and related skills over time in parallel with Projects 3, 4, and 5. It also introduces a measurement study to define attention as a construct and conducts 3 design experiments on attention in LDs. Project 3 (Intervention) builds on the previous 10 years of intervention research with a two- year double-cohort randomized controlled trial addressing reading comprehension in 820 Grade 7 Els with persistent reading difficulties. Project 4 (Neuroimaging) provides multimodal structural and functional neuroimaging studies of children who respond adequately and inadequately to Project 3 interventions. Project 5 (Epigenetics) is the high risk high reward study that evaluates epigenetic changes in DNA methylation in response to intervention in 672 participants from Project 2 (Attention) and Project 3 (Intervention). Support comes from the Administration Core (A), the Engagement Core (B), the Data Management & Statistics Core (C), and the Assessment & Recruitment Core (D). Training and dissemination opportunities are embedded throughout the Center, which has produced numerous trainees and publications 15 years. Synergy and cohesiveness emerges from common studies of the same cohort of Els through Project 3 (Intervention), with three shared assessments of a subset of these participants and typically developing comparison children in Projects 2 (Attention), 4 (Neuroimaging), and 5 (Epigenetics). The TCLD is a well-organized and cohesive multi-disciplinary Center that conducts synergistic research on fundamental issues involving LDs.