Teaching Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities

Diane M. Browder, PhD, is Distinguished Professor Emerita of Special Education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte). Dr. Browder has researched and written about assessment and instruction for students with severe developmental disabilities since the 1980s. She worked closely with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System in developing new interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities, with a focus on reading, science, and math. She continues to provide consultation to local school systems and to teach preservice special education courses at UNC Charlotte. Dr. Browder is a recipient of the Special Education Research Award from the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), the Burton Blatt Humanitarian Award from the CEC Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities, and the Distinguished Researcher Award from the American Educational Research Association Special Education Special Interest Group, among other honors.

Fred Spooner, PhD, is Professor of Special Education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Dr. Spooner has researched and written about instructional strategies for students with severe disabilities since the 1980s. Recently, he has focused on alternate assessment and linking both assessment and instruction to the general education curriculum. He is coeditor of the Journal of Special Education and associate editor of Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities. Dr. Spooner has worked closely with Diane M. Browder in the development and implementation of federally funded research projects in the area of early literacy, mathematics, and science for students with significant cognitive disabilities, serving in the capacity of research associate and co-principal investigator.

Ginevra R. Courtade, PhD, is Associate Professor of Special Education at the University of Louisville. She has worked in the field of moderate and severe disabilities since the late 1990s. Dr. Courtade's work focuses specifically on teaching academics to students with moderate and severe disabilities and preparing teachers to instruct students in the general education curriculum using evidence-based practices. Her numerous publications include peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, books, and curricula. Dr. Courtade was recently recognized by her college for service to the profession.