Grant to provide pediatric screenings to underserved areas

August 31, 2026 – DENTON – In Denton County, a critical shortage of pediatricians leaves many young children without routine care. 

The North Texas region was identified as being among the least served by pediatricians, according to information from Texas Health and Human Services. 

Because limited access to pediatric specialists contributes to developmental health disparities, a team of Texas Woman’s researchers are stepping in to provide additional early developmental screenings in medically underserved communities in Denton and Parker counties.

Thanks to a $400,000 grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Minority Health Research and Education Grant Program, TWU researchers are bringing no-cost developmental screenings, caregiver education, referral navigation and telehealth-supported follow up directly into childcare centers.

The two-year Childcare-Embedded Developmental Access (CEDA) Pathway project is led by Heather Roberts, an associate director and associate professor in the School of Occupational Therapy, Wendi Johnson, executive director of the Woodcock Institute and Hope McCarroll, assistant clinical professor in the School of OT.

“A central goal of my work is to lower the age at which developmental concerns are identified so children and families can reach appropriate services earlier," Roberts said. "When concerns are recognized, and families are connected with support sooner, children have a better opportunity to benefit.” 

Research shows that systemic healthcare disparities delay diagnoses for minority and lower income children compared to their peers. To address this gap, TWU partnered with childcare centers in high-need zip codes.

Roberts plans for 18 childcare center visits, screening a total of 180 children, up to age six. The screenings will examine broad areas of development and help identify children who may benefit from additional evaluation or support. Screening results will not provide a diagnosis. 

With the on-site screenings, TWU is eliminating major barriers for families, such as transportation and long waitlists, while allowing clinicians to evaluate children in their natural environment.

“Occupational therapists want to understand how children participate in the environments where they live, learn and play," Roberts said. "Seeing a child in a familiar setting gives the team valuable context while making the process more accessible for families." 

The initiative exemplifies TWU’s commitment to hands-on, interdisciplinary education. The teams will include faculty and graduate students from the occupational therapy, speech language pathology and psychology disciplines. 

“Children's development is complex, and no single discipline sees the whole picture," Roberts said. "An interdisciplinary team allows us to bring different perspectives together, understand each child's strengths and needs more fully, and make more thoughtful recommendations with families.”

Roberts, Johnson and McCarroll are collaborating with TWU colleague: Alison Brockett, associate clinical professor in the Communication Sciences and Oral Health Department. The four worked together at TWU’s Woodcock Autism Assessment Clinic, where they brainstormed ways to broaden their assessments. 

An essential part of the project is training at least 25 graduate-level clinicians, offering  specialized training for OTD and SLP graduate students as well as PhD psychology students. Training will address developmental screenings, health equity, implicit bias, strengths-based communication and referral navigation. 

Throughout the project, faculty will work on creating educational content to help students and childcare centers providers feel confident discussing sensitive topics with families. 

“Our role is not simply to screen," Roberts said. "It is to educate, coach and empower families while preparing future clinicians to provide equitable, family-centered care.”

By integrating CEDA into TWU's graduate clinical education, the team aims to build a sustainable model that can continue beyond the grant period and bring early developmental access closer to families. CEDA provides an additional route to developmental screening and is intended to complement, not replace, routine screenings conducted through children’s pediatric healthcare providers.