About the Center

Who We Are

The Texas Center for Learning Disabilities (TCLD) conducts research that leads to a more comprehensive understanding of the following:

• Reliable and valid classifications of learning disabilities, with direct implications for identification of students with significant reading disabilities, including models that incorporate response to intervention (RTI; Project 1)
• The role of executive functions and attention in reading comprehension and other academic skills (Project 2)
• Effective interventions for English language learners with intractable reading difficulties (Project 3)
• The neural correlates of reading disabilities in children (Project 4)
• Genetic factors related to inadequate instructional response (Project 5)

TCLD supports research that leads to a more comprehensive classification of LD, a more integrated understanding of intervention for children with reading problems, and important cross-discipline insights into the nature of LD. Currently, this research takes the form of four projects to be conducted over the next five years.

Overall Principal Investigators

Dr. Jack M. Fletcher, PI, University of Houston

Dr. Sharon Vaughn, Co-PI, The University of Texas at Austin

Other Principal Investigators

Phil Capin, The University of Texas at Austin

Dr. Jessica Church-Lang, The University of Texas at Austin

Dr. Paul Cirino, University of Houston

Dr. David Francis, University of Houston

Dr. Elena Grigorenko, University of Houston

Dr. Jenifer Juranek, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Dr. Jeremy Miciak, University of Houston

Dr. Greg Roberts, The University of Texas at Austin

Location

The research sites are the University of Houston, The University of Texas at Austin, and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. The current Classification and Integration project is led by David Francis of the University of Houston. The Executive Function and Attention project is led by Paul Cirino, also of the University of Houston. The University of Texas at Austin implements aspects of the current Intervention project, led by Sharon Vaughn. The current Neuroimaging project is housed at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, led by Jenifer Juranek. The Epigenetics project is led by Dr. Elena Grigorenko, of the University of Houston.