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Dear parents, thank you for your interest!

Because research on language development cannot progress without your involvement and those of your children, we are regularly looking for volunteering families to participate in one of our studies. Your involvement is greatly appreciated. Below are answers to questions you may have. You can also contact us at lolauni-potsdamde our follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LOLA.Potsdam/ or Twitter: twitter.com/LOLA_labo

  • What kind of studies do we conduct at LOLA?

We are broadly interested in language development in children with or without language-related difficulties. We primarily test GERMAN children from 6 months to 12 years of age. We may at times record children from various linguistic backgrounds. In this case, we will post a special announcement.

Depending on the project, we may focus on how your child produce phonemes or words; how they perceive or recognize them. We may also be interested in how your child memorize or read words or even how your child organize words in his mind before producing them aloud!

All studies conducted at LOLA aim at advancing knowledge in the fields of spoken language or reading development.

  • Where can I read more about the work you are doing?

We will regularly publish updates from our current studies on our Project page or Facebook page and events on News page for regular updates on studies, publications and events.

On Science Day, May 5st 2018, we introduced our work to the general public. For more details, please click hereAt this occasion, many laboratories & teams will introduce their work, do demos and respond to questions you may have. Families and children welcome! 

  • Do our study present any risk for my child?

No, our studies and the equipment does not present any risk for your child’s health. Also, all our studies are approved by a Ethical Commission prior to its beginning. In addition to be enthusiastic and rigorous, students and staff at the lab are well trained with any equipment used and have experience interacting with children. They will take great care of your child during the study, regularly encouraging him/her and asking if everything is ok to continue. In spite of our efforts, if your child does not feel comfortable or interested in the task anymore, he can stop the test at any time!

  • What if I come with young siblings?

If your child has been recruited for one of our studies and you want to come with siblings, it is no problem at all! We have a waiting room with games and books and drawing material so your children won’t be bored waiting for their sister/brother to come back from the study.

  • How long does a study last in general?

The testing phase usually does not last long (about 20 minutes). However, we need some time to introduce you to the study and make you read relevant documents. We then bring your child to our testing room and introduce her/him to the study. It is very important for us that your child feels comfortable with us and also interested in the study. We therefore spend time connecting to your child explaining him/her the task and answer any question she/he may have.

Tests are usually set up into games or stories so it is fun for your child! During the test, we do regular breaks. For these reasons, we ask parents to plan an hour visit to LOLA. 

  • Do I receive compensation for my child's participation in a study?

When you come at LOLA to participate in a study, you will be compensated for your traveling expenses. Also, your child will receive a present for his participation in the study. If the test is aborted for any reason or if your child decides to not complete the test, we will still give you a compensation for your traveling expenses.

We are very grateful for your interest in our research and we are looking forward to having you involved in one of our studies!