Kristen Bottema-Beutel, a professor at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education and Human Development, is a co-principal investigator of a multidisciplinary team awarded a $13.7 million grant to advance early intervention (EI) for toddlers with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
The five-year project, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), aims to identify the most effective EI approaches for families from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Led by Northwestern University, the study will compare three EI methods. Each approach seeks to enhance child communication, caregiver responsiveness, and caregiver capacity to support their child’s needs. The research also examines how these interventions can reduce disparities in outcomes for Black and Latino/a families, who often face systemic barriers to equitable EI services.
Professor Kristen Bottema-Beutel
The project team, including Bottema-Beutel, will compare three EI approaches:
- A traditional therapist-delivered intervention.
- Caregiver coaching.
- Culturally responsive caregiver psychoeducation.
"The project team will enroll 45 EI speech-language pathologists and 1,269 children with IDD they serve on their caseloads. There will be 423 children in each group — 33 percent Black, 33 percent Latino/a and 33 percent White — from across the state of Illinois," says the press release from PCORI.
The culturally responsive psychoeducation model, delivered by peer mentors, is the central innovation of the study. Designed to build trust and address cultural needs, it offers families information on advocacy and resources while fostering meaningful connections.
Results from this research aim to empower families and EI providers with evidence-based strategies, ensuring services are both equitable and effective. In addition to Bottema-Beutel, other researchers on the multidisciplinary team include Meg Roberts, the lead investigator at Northwestern University, Jamie Pearson (North Carolina State University), Morénike Giwa Onaiwu (Advocacy without Borders), Sandy Magaña (University of Texas-Austin), Adin-Cristian Andrei (Northwestern University), Aaron Kaat (Northwestern University), and Karen Berman (Start Early). Bottema-Beutel’s participation highlights Boston College’s dedication to transformative research that enhances social justice and community well-being.