The resource Research Works podcast translates cutting-edge research into practical knowledge for allied health professionals. Featuring expert interviews and discussions, it empowers listeners with evidence-based strategies to enhance clinical practice and decision-making.

Word learning is a core challenge for children with developmental language disorder (DLD), but the specific mechanisms underlying these difficulties are still being explored. This study investigates how children with DLD learn novel words over time and how verbal working memory influences this process. In this episode of the ResearchWorks podcast, Professor Mary Claessen discusses new findings on how children with DLD struggle with encoding word forms and meanings—but not form-referent links—and how verbal working memory significantly impacts their word learning success.