Lab Highlights
July 2026
Manuscripts
Samantha Torres, a patient navigator and research assistant, presented her work at the 2026 Illinois Summer Research Symposium and the UIC SROP Symposium. Her research explored the creation of IEP Guide, an interactive website designed to help parents navigate the process of obtaining an Individualized Education Program (IEP) through Chicago Public Schools.
Karis Gorak, MD/PhD student and research assistant, was awarded the Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (SODBP) scholarship to attend the 2026 AAP National Conference and Exhibition in San Diego.
Samantha Torres, patient navigator and research assistant, was accepted into the Urban Public Policy Fellowship, a competitive year-long fellowship at UIC that focuses on leadership development, public policy, professional development, and preparing students for careers that address community and public-sector challenges.
June 2026
Caroline Cotto, Cashell Lewis and Lynn Idriss all presented their research at the 2026 Northwestern Chicago Early Childhood Research Conference. Caroline, a research assistant and patient navigator, presented on the initial implementation of Preschool and Me. Cashell, a post-doc, presented on fathers’ engagement across the early childhood special education process. Lynn, a patient navigator, presented on family satisfaction with patient navigators in Preschool and Me.
Preschool and Me: Educational-Clinical Linkage to Improve Health Equity for Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities from Historically Marginalized Communities.
Click Here to access the study
Presentations
Improving Adoption of an Educational-Medical Linkage to Increase Access to School-Based Services for Preschoolers with Developmental Delays and Disabilities
Aishwarya Tallikar, BS; Mariam Hassan, BS; Kayla Hieras, BS; Adil Lokhandwala, Lynn Idriss,
Giovanna Savastano, MS; Karis Gorak, BS; Tina Schuh, MPH; Reshma Shah, MD, MPH.
Educational-Clinical Linkage to Improve Health Equity for Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities
Reshma Shah MD, MPH; Tina Schuh, MPH; Kruti Acharya, MD; Sarai Coba-Rodriguez, PhD; Emily Pela, MA; Raphael Kinney, MAS; Michael Berbaum, PhD; Kathleen Diviak, PhD,
Molly Martin, MD, MAPP.
Missed Early Supports: Delays and Inequities in Access to Early Childhood Education Services.
Shah, R., Schuh, T., Pugach, O., Nguyen, H., Kinney, R., Coba-Rodriguez, S., Martin, M., Diviak K.
Multi-Level Impacts of Sleep Disturbances in Preschoolers with Developmental Delays and Disabilities.
Ghalyoun, H., Terlap, E., Adavadkar, P., Youssef, N., Skolnik, C., Diviak, K., Kinney, R., Bauer, S., Schwartz, A., Schuh, T., Shah, R.
Initiating ECSE Access: Predictors and Timeliness of IEP Evaluation Requests Among Preschool-Aged Children.
Lewis, C., Kinney, R., Pugach, O., Nguyen, H, M., Schuh, T., Diviak, K., Shah, R.
Capstones
Improving adoption of an educational-medical linkage to increase access to school-based services for preschoolers with developmental delays and disabilities.
Natalia Matula.
Training Students as Navigators for a Community-Clinical Linkage Model to Improve Access to School-Based Therapies
Karis Gorak, MS, MA; Tina Schuh, MPH; Carolina Jimenez, BS; Denise Carreto-Muñoz, Natalia Matula, BS; Ryan Borum, BA; Reshma Shah MD, MPH.
Assessing Determinants of Access to Clinic-and School-Based Supports for Preschool-Aged Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities
Karis Gorak, MS; Resha Shah, MD, MPH; Alan Schwartz, PhD.
Fidelity Outcomes of Patient Navigator Model: Preschool and Me Program.
Torres, S., Gorak, K., Schuh, T., Shah, R.
Service Gaps in Federally Mandated Early Childhood Special Education.
Shah, R., Cotto, C., Kinney, R., Pugach, O., Nguyen, H, M., Schuh, T., Diviak, K.
Sleep as a Health Equity Issue: Sleep Challenges Among Preschool Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities.
Ghalyoun, H., Terlap, E., Adavadkar, P., Youssef, N., Skolnik, C., Diviak, K., Kinney, R., Bauer, S., Schwartz, A., Schuh, T., Shah, R.
The Waiting Game: How State Policies Influence IEP Timeline and Access to Services.
Diya Patel.
Assessing Determinants of Access to Clinic- and School-Based Supports for Preschool-Aged Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities.
Denise Carreto-Muñoz
Examining Barriers to Individual Education Plans
Jena Kuli.
Family Satisfaction with Patient Navigators in the Preschool and Me Program
Lynn Idriss.
