When Nicole Telfer, PhD, enrolled in the doctoral program in applied developmental psychology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, she was planning on a career focusing on adolescent development. But a graduate course on infancy and early childhood development sparked her interest in working with younger children. During her required graduate school practicum, she interned at the University of Maryland Medical Center’s pediatric unit, gaining exposure to early childhood development, particularly among children with developmental delays or disabilities. Realizing she wanted more understanding of this work, Telfer—who became a postdoctoral scholar at the UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG) in 2022—joined the Researchers Investigating Sociocultural Equity and Race (RISER) Network. This predoctoral fellowship training program was co-founded by FPG’s Iheoma Iruka, PhD, and Stephanie Curenton, PhD, at Boston University.

Telfer says that Iruka’s mentorship during the RISER program helped get her in the door to a career in early childhood development. Attending conferences and being published led to Telfer’s successful application to her postdoc. Over the past two years at FPG, she has worked with Iruka and Noreen Yazejian, PhD, to examine equity gaps and biases in the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Third Edition (ECERS-3). The researchers, who are currently in the data analysis phase, explored this tool through focus groups, secondary data analyses, and observations in more than 180 classrooms, and are providing solutions with a lens toward anti-bias and culturally grounded practices. Telfer and her colleagues will present findings at the International ECERS Conference in Porto, Portugal this May.

“I am happy that I am part of this project that seeks to address biases that we see in the tool so we can improve the early learning experiences of young Black and Latine/Hispanic children,” says Telfer. “I appreciate that FPG is committed to addressing these social challenges and social harms that families and children from marginalized communities face.”

“I am happy that I am part of this project that seeks to address biases that we see in the tool so we can improve the early learning experiences of young Black and Latine/Hispanic children,” says Telfer. “I appreciate that FPG is committed to addressing these social challenges and social harms that families and children from marginalized communities face.”

A developmental scientist, Telfer is interested in understanding the development of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, specifically Black children, and helping to ensure that they receive equitable and quality services as well as a high-quality education. She also studies parenting strategies used by Black parents who are raising Black disabled and/or neurodivergent children. Having a younger autistic brother as well as other relatives with disabilities or delays helped point Telfer toward exploring the intersection of race, ethnicity, and gender.

Her research on parental ethnic-racial socialization among Black parents of Black children with a disability lies at the intersection of racism and ableism. Telfer wishes to understand how parents of color raising children with neurodevelopmental disabilities can talk to their children about race and discrimination, knowing the differences that these children have in terms of communication and social interactions. She wants to explore what these conversations look like for Black parents and whether they have the support and guidance to discuss issues of race and disability with their children.

“The FPG network is amazing since so many people in the early childhood development field know about the Institute,” says Telfer. “I appreciate all the connections that I've made, which I'm confident will be lifelong connections. I feel like I'll always have a home at FPG, wherever I go.”

Telfer recently received a grant from the Brady Education Foundation for a two-year study using a mixed methods approach to explore Black parents’ ethnic-racial and disability socialization practices and how this influences the academic outcomes and mental health outcomes of Black neurodivergent children ages 7 to 15 years. This work is informed by a pilot study Telfer is in the midst of conducting, in which many of the emerging themes are around misdiagnosis and low-quality services, as well as harsh disciplinary practices that Black youth with disabilities encounter in school and in society.  She says that receiving such a prestigious grant at this stage of her career has motivated her to continue to seek out grants to continue and expand this line of research.

Telfer is also working on a project with FPG Interim Director Brian Boyd, PhD, to discern the factors that make families from low-income backgrounds more likely to participate in autism research. The goal is to increase representation of diverse families in autism research.

Thankful for the mentorship provided by Yazejian and Iruka, Telfer is grateful for her postdoc at FPG as well as FPG’s mission of being intentional about community engagement. “The FPG network is amazing since so many people in the early childhood development field know about the Institute,” she says. “I appreciate all the connections that I've made, which I'm confident will be lifelong connections. I feel like I'll always have a home at FPG, wherever I go.”

With her postdoc ending this summer, Telfer is on the job market, seeking a tenure-track, junior faculty or research scientist position in academia or at an institute that focuses on early childhood development and neurodevelopmental disabilities. She plans to stay involved in community engagement, cross collaboration, and community-based participatory research. Telfer is committed to having her research remain focused on Black disabled youth and identifying ways to accommodate their needs in the education system and society at large. “Long term, I hope that my work informs intervention programs and policies centered on the well-being of Black neurodivergent [and typically developing] children and their families,” she says.