Dr. Matthew C. Zajic is an Assistant Professor of Intellectual Disability/Autism in the Health Studies & Applied Educational Psychology Department at Teachers College, Columbia University. His research adopts interdisciplinary theories and methodologies from autism, writing, and literacy research to understand and support the writing development of autistic individuals across contexts throughout the lifespan. More broadly, he is interested in effective literacy practices for neurodivergent learners as well as the use of psychometrics, assessment, and quantitative methods in supporting the literacy abilities of neurodivergent learners. He teaches courses on assessment and evaluation in special education, writing development and instruction, and language and literacy development across neurodiverse learners. He completed a predoctoral fellowship in psychometrics and assessment of special populations, a postdoctoral fellowship in autism and education, and an advanced training fellowship in applied mixture modeling.
Email: mcz2114@tc.columbia.eduWebsite: https://www.tc.columbia.edu/faculty/mcz2114/
Dr. Heather M. Brown was initially trained as an elementary school teacher but is now an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta. She is also an Autistic researcher passionate about supporting the academic achievement and overall well-being of Autistic children, youth and adults. Her research approach is community-based and participatory, empowering Autistic individuals to embrace their neurodiversity confidently and aims to understand the factors that most support their well-being at home, work and school. She currently serves as the director of the Autism, Neurodiversity and Academic Achievement (AIDAN) Lab.
Email: heather2@ualberta.ca
Websites: https://apps.ualberta.ca/directory/person/heather2
https://www.aidanlab.ca/
OPEN - To be filled in 2025!
Dr. Kristie Asaro-Saddler is an Associate Professor in the Division of Special Education and the Division of Educational Psychology and Methodology at the University at Albany. Her research focuses on writing instruction and support for autistic students, with a focus on the self-regulatory components of writing, and supporting autistic people and their families from under-represented areas of the world. She has numerous publications in autism, special education and writing journals and has presented her works at international, national and regional conferences. She teaches courses on autism and effective practices for teachers of students with disabilities. Prior to joining the faculty at the University at Albany she was a special education teacher for children with autism and developmental disabilities.
Email: ksaddler@albany.edu
Website: https://www.albany.edu/education/faculty/kristie-asaro-saddler
Dr. Amy Accardo is the founding director of the Center for Neurodiversity at Rowan University and an associate professor and co-chair of the Wellness and Inclusive Services in Education Department. Amy presently serves as a Principal Investigator of the Learning Resource Center- South. Her scholarly activities focus on promoting equitable education opportunities for autistic students and working with neurodiverse students, teachers, faculty, and staff to implement inclusive pedagogy and practices. She has published numerous articles and presents in person nationally on neurodiversity, autism and topics including college access, literacy, teacher preparation and mental health. Amy holds a master’s degree from Drexel University and a doctoral degree in special education from Arcadia University. She is co-author of the book College Success for Students on the Autism Spectrum: A Neurodiversity Perspective.
Email: Accardo@rowan.edu
Website: https://education.rowan.edu/contactus/accardo-amy.html