Language, Literacy, and Intervention for Developmental Success
Our lab explores how children and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities or primary language impairment learn language and literacy, pairing rigorous, stakeholder-informed research with practical interventions that enhance communication and lifelong success. We are driven to create tangible community impact today while mentoring the next generation.
Student Involvement
Students participate in the LLIDS lab as research assistants, as undergraduate honors project students, as thesis students, and as PhD students. 20+ undergraduate and graduate students have been mentored through the LLIDS lab. Currently, the LLIDS lab includes 2 undergraduate students and 5 masters students, all working with Dr. Hoyer to meet the LLIDS lab research mission.
Participate in a Study
The LLIDS lab is always recruiting individuals to participate in our studies. To enroll to learn more about future research opportunities in the LLIDS lab, fill out this short form or contact us at a.hoyer@tcu.edu.
Research Areas
Raising Texas Voices: Statewide initiative focused on listening to Texans with disabilities and their families to better understand what matters most to them.
Functional Reading (FRAME Project): Fun, motivating reading activities that boost independence for young adults with IDD.
Down Syndrome & Related Disabilities: Friday Frogs interprofessional program with OT to support the development of practical independent living, self-advocacy, and workplace readiness skills.
Intervention Research: Developing and studying what works to help kids communicate and read with confidence.
Lead Faculty
Dr. Alison Hoyer, PhD, CCC-SLP, serves as an Associate Professor in the Davies School of Communication Sciences & Disorders at TCU and director of the LLIDS Lab. Hoyer is a former school-based speech-language pathologists and researches language and literacy in intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as primary language impairment. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation, and the Texas Council of Developmental Disabilities. In 2026, she was awarded the Dr. Ollie Seay Knowledge Award for Excellence in Education or Research from the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Texas Chapter. Her manuscript on her NIH-funded randomized controlled trial evaluating the Functional Reading Activities to Motivate and Empower (FRAME) intervention was selected for the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology Editor’s Award.