Dr. Perry's research focuses on the following:

• Language development and delays in multicultural populations
• Literacy development and delays
• Sociolinguistics (the socio-cultural factors affecting language evolution in diverse groups)
• Bilingualism and second language acquisition
• Implementation of interventions in school-based settings
• Research design integrity (Yes, I actually research which scientific methods are most appropriate for answering certain types of questions.)
• Speech sounds and related delays/disorders

Current Projects

Advanced Linguistic forms of African-American English

I'm collaborating with researchers at Howard University and the University of Oregon on this project.

African American English (AAE) is a dialect that many (but not all) African-Americans who are native to the U.S. tend to speak. Many speakers of AAE can switch to the mainstream form of Professional American English. However, there are advanced linguistic forms of AAE that need to be explored so that we can better serve students of this group who have challenges with code switching to American Professional English in order to read and write at advanced levels. This study explores how African-American university students and middle school students utilize complex language in writing.

African-American English Dialect Language Development Project

Collaborative study with colleagues at the University of Maryland, College Park. This project is funded by NIH. I'm working on a sub-project from this larger study that focuses on identifying which methods of language sample analysis have the strongest validity and reliability for detecting language delays in children aged 2 years to 6 years.

Past Research Projects

I've conducted research and published some of my findings in peer-reviewed research journals, newsletters, and other outlets. If you'd like to learn more about my previous research, please inquire with me.