In response, Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½ is collaborating with five other universities to create the Special Education Teacher Education Policy, Practice and Research Doctoral Training Consortium, or Project SPARC. The collaborative doctoral training consortium will prepare 22 scholars for leadership positions in higher-education institutions across the nation. Project SPARCā€™s goal is to increase the number of leaders in exceptional student education with expertise in evidence-based and responsive instruction, interventions and services that improve outcomes for children with high-intensity needs.

, director of the at Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½, serves as co-principal investigator on the consortium. Partner universities include Florida State University, George Mason University, North Carolina State University, Texas A&M University and University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Marino says the idea was sparked at the Higher Education Consortium for Special Educationā€™s Winter Summit, which took place in Washington, D.C., in January. There, experts developed the idea to recruit scholars from across different institutions nationwide and their combined knowledge to leverage the best resources and practices.

ā€œWeā€™re going to be preparing these doctoral students for special education leadership, and the ultimate idea is that each one of those individuals will then go out and prepare their own students to combat the nationwide exceptional student education teacher shortage,ā€ Marino says. ā€œWeā€™re talking about serving students who have the most intense needs and require the most support. They need teachers who are adequately prepared to do that, and that’s really what this is about.ā€

Funded by the U.S. Department of Educationā€™s Office of Special Education Programs, the five-year, $6.5 million grant empowers the consortium to address the exceptional student education teacher shortage. One of just two such awards given, Project SPARC aims to accomplish this by equipping each scholar with expertise in teaching, research, recruitment, retention, policy and research-to-practice partnerships. Collectively, these scholars stand to impact 11,000 students with disabilities annually.

Of the 22 total scholars across the six universities, five will call Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½ home and ultimately graduate with a fully funded doctoral degree in exceptional education. The consortium model, however, is unique in that it operates on a shared set of coursework and experiences connecting the students across all partner universities, including opportunities for them to network and present together. The shared series of courses will be taught at different institutions on a rotating basis.

ā€œFor example, at Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½, in the summer of year two, I will be teaching a grant-writing class that will be offered to all participating students,ā€ Marino says. ā€œThese classes also give us a recruiting mechanism to bring in future faculty who we know are highly prepared because we’ll have worked with them during their doctoral program.ā€

Additionally, each scholar will have the opportunity to participate in unique internships at any of the six different sites.

ā€œBecause of that, we have an opportunity to bring people in to see how students with high-intensity needs can integrate into an active community and hone job skills,ā€ Marino says.

Marino and the Project SPARC team are currently recruiting for the first cohort, which is set to begin in Fall 2025. Eligible candidates must have a masterā€™s degree and at least three years of teaching or comparable experience. Theyā€™ll also need to demonstrate commitment to a full-time, in-person doctoral program. Each will receive significant benefits, including tuition assistance, stipends, health insurance, and research and relocation funding. Potential candidates interested in more information on Project SPARC should contact Marino.

ā€œLeveraging our resources and contributions to evidence-based practices is going to be highly beneficial to the group, and Iā€™m excited to be working with some of the best people in the country on this project,ā€ Marino says.

Researcher Credentials

Marino is a professor of exceptional student education in Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½ā€™s . He is also the principal investigator for the Inclusive Education Services program, which aims to enhance workforce readiness and participation for young adults with intellectual disabilities. His research focuses on game-based learning, STEM education, universal design for learning, school-to-work transition and teacher preparation. His research has been supported in part by over $17 million in federal grants from the Institute of Education Sciences, the U.S. Department of Educationā€™s Office of Special Education Programs and the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Supported by a five-year, $1.25 million personnel preparation award from the ED, Project ASD 7 aims to increase the number of fully credentialed special education teachers and speech-language pathologists in the workforce. The and the ā€” both housed within the College of Community Innovation and Education ā€” is partnering with the Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½ in the to facilitate preparing scholars to do just that.

ā€œThis project is a collaborative grant that continues the work of Project ASD 6,ā€ says , associate director of the TJEEI and principal investigator for the project. ā€œWith this new funding, 46 scholars will be supported as they complete their masterā€™s degrees in either exceptional student education or while working together to earn the graduate certificate in ASD.ā€

The graduate certificate in ASD consists of four courses that constitute the requirements for endorsement by the state of Florida. By incorporating these requirements into both degree programs, Project ASD 7 ensures students in both disciplines receive state endorsement.

Since January 2004, various iterations of Project ASD have addressed the critical need for special educators who serve school-age children identified with intellectual disabilities and emotional disorders. The program provides funding for up to 36 credit hours and has seen over 600 graduates to date.

Qualified special education personnel are in high demand. The Florida Department of Education ranked autism second on its list of teacher certification shortage areas for the 2022-23 school year. A 2024 USDoE report shows 49 of 50 states reporting insufficient numbers of special education teachers and speech-language pathologists. Additionally, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national employment rate for speech-language pathologists is projected to grow 19% from 2022 to 2032 ā€” much faster than average.

, associate professor in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders and co-principal investigator of the project, reiterates the need for trained and credentialed specialists. She says this latest version of Project ASD is especially exciting due to its focus on increasing the number of specialists.

The central benefit of the program is its interdisciplinary structure. With a strong focus on collaboration, the project prepares scholars to work with professionals in different areas of specialization. Schaffer says this approach not only reflects the daily reality in the field but also has a positive effect on individuals with ASD.

ā€œBy building interdisciplinary collaboration, we develop strong skillsets so that teams who support people with ASD can work together more effectively,ā€ Schaffer says. ā€œA team consists of multiple professionals providing a variety of services ā€” this might include a psychologist, a speech-language pathologist, a behavior analyst and an educator. Working together with a common goal for a child is the best way to set that child up for success.ā€

Towson adds that interprofessional education and practice is essential to working as a special education teacher or speech-language pathologist.

ā€œProject ASD gives our students the opportunity to learn with and from each other to provide better outcomes for the children and families they will serve in the future,ā€ Towson says.

, assistant professor in the School of Teacher Education, joins Schaffer and Towson as a new co-principal investigator for the project. Park, an expert in training special education teachers, says she is thrilled to collaborate with colleagues in a variety of fields to prepare educators to support students with ASD.

ā€œProject ASD 7 will provide teachers and speech-language pathologists with rigorous, evidence-based instructional practices that will be more accessible for students. Our hope is that by increasing the quality of training for teachers and speech pathologists, we will empower students with ASD to realize their full potential,ā€ Park says.

The project offers a wealth of valuable advantages. Enrolled students are eligible to receive a scholarship of $250 per course. They may also attend state and national conferences and complete internships with Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½-affiliated schools, organizations and educational agencies in the Central Florida region. To help scholars integrate coursework and field experiences, the program uniquely incorporates the use of mentor demonstration sites via live seminars, synchronous and asynchronous online presentations, and video streaming.

In addition to these short-term benefits, Park and the other members of the project also foresee long-term benefits to local educational communities, as program participants take their new knowledge and share it with fellow special educators and the families of students with disabilities to promote a more inclusive learning environment.

Many students and graduates consider Project ASD instrumental in shaping their career path. Kyra Liebertz, a current scholar, says her drive to become an effective and knowledgeable speech-language pathologist motivated her to apply.

ā€œThe opportunity to specialize in autism studies aligned perfectly with my professional goals,ā€ Liebertz says. ā€œThrough coursework and hands-on experiences, Iā€™ve developed skills in assessment, intervention planning and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams. Joining Project ASD has inspired me to pursue a career in high-needs schools.ā€

Going forward, Schaffer is confident Project ASD will continue to meet the needs of the workforce and provide scholars with the optimal training necessary to excel in their careers.

Those wanting to learn more about Project ASD and how to get involved should reach out to projectasd@ucf.edu.

Autism spectrum disorder affects about one in 36 children nationally, according to Ā the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

She was starting the 15-week , run by Associate Professor Jeanette Garcia of the . The program isnā€™t an ordinary judo lesson; it is specifically for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. Garcia and her team of 20 undergraduate health sciences students research how movement interventions like judo can help improve physical activity, sleep quality, social skills, self-confidence and academic performance in kids with ASD, which affects about one in 36 children nationally, according to a new report released from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just ahead of Autism Awareness Month, which occurs in April.

According to the CDC, autism is a developmental disorder that can result in a variety of symptoms, such as challenges with social communication and interaction skills, leading to impaired speech and language development. Some with ASD also may have sensory issues. For this young girl, judo brought her out of her shell.

ā€œEven after the program, she continued to take lessons and earned a yellow belt. She ended up coming back to present with me at a conference about the benefits of judo,ā€ Garcia says. ā€œShe had no issues demonstrating judo at the conference, and even went on to take the lead in her school play.ā€

Garciaā€™s research is showing that kids with ASD enjoy structured formats, like judo and martial arts. Structure can help ease social anxiety, which often affects this population.

ā€œPrior research [on interventions for kids with ASD] didnā€™t examine whether kids enjoyed the program,ā€ Garcia says. ā€œThatā€™s important to me because if they like it, itā€™ll be sustainable.ā€

The research is looking at benefits to parents of children with ASD, too, including changes in their sleep quality and stress levels, says Garcia. Family members often participate with their kids in the judo lessons.

The Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½ Judo Program is in its fourth semester thanks to grant funding and continuous interest from the community. It is just one of many ways the university supports the ASD community through resources and research.

Thanks to state legislative funding, individuals with ASD, their families and educators in the seven Central Florida counties surrounding Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½ have access to a vast array of resources. Beginning in 1999, the Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½ , located in Central Florida Research Park, hosts family education seminars, assists parents in the educational planning of their child, offers communication-development programs for toddlers and preschoolers, trains teachers in best practices to educate ASD students and much more.

ā€œWe serve the entire lifespan from the time a person is diagnosed with ASD,ā€ says Teresa Daly, director of CARD.

More than 20,200 families are registered with CARD, which brings its services to the community in schools, scout troop meetings, daycares, community agencies and others.

More than 20,200 families are registered with CARD, which brings its services to the community in schools, scout troop meetings, daycares, community agencies and others.

ā€œCARD is not a place where you bring people for services,ā€ Daly says. ā€œWe go out into the community to provide our services in the natural environment each case calls for.ā€

Routinely, CARD develops new programs to serve the ASD community in all stages of life. Programs help young children with reading, math, behavior and social skills; teens with learning how to drive; and adults with living independently, attending college, and even in meeting others in the local ASD community with game nights and dinner outings.

Daly says CARD is expanding its capabilities to serve the growing Hispanic population in Central Florida, with four bilingual clinicians already on staff.

An additional perk families receive from CARD is they are first in line to participate in numerous research programs at the university that call for participation from those with ASD. Daly stays in close contact with Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½ researchers from the College of Health Professions and Sciences, the , and the to help them recruit participants for their studies. Garciaā€™s judo program is one of them.

Another study is , a summer program for kids with ASD who have a reading skill level from pre-kindergarten to third grade. Led by Carrie Loughran ā€™99 ā€™08MA, an instructor in and graduate from the communication sciences and disorders program, and Nancy McIntyre, assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders, Camp iREAD examines how hands-on, interactive activities while reading improves comprehension.

ā€œWeā€™re hoping our program shows that when you make content from a book real and something you can physically engage with, it becomes meaningful and you can better comprehend the concepts youā€™re reading,ā€ Loughran says.

In just its second iteration, Camp iREAD will take place this summer along with an additional pilot program that can bring Camp iREAD to the next level. Using the College of Health Professions and Scienceā€™s new Blended Learning Interactive Simulation Suite (BLISS), a mixed reality space with 270-degree, floor-to-ceiling touchscreen walls, children will be immersed in virtual books, allowing them to interact with the words, characters and pictures, and giving them new means to engage with and comprehend what they are reading.

Loughran and McIntyre will study how immersive technology, such as whatā€™s at BLISS, improves reading comprehension in children with ASD, and graduate studentsā€™ readiness to educate this population of students.

Similarly, McIntyre is analyzing data to understand how a bout of physical activity may enhance reading comprehension in children with ASD. Thanks to an internal grant, Garcia and McIntyre observed that 45 minutes of judo prior to reading may improve focus and attention during the reading lesson. They are in early stages of analyzing their results, and if found to be successful, they intend to seek a larger grant to continue studying the connection between physical activity and reading in ASD children, says Garcia.

Physical activity and learning are strongly linked in the ASD community, researchers are finding, and the and are expanding that understanding, too.

Popular toys and even books for children often are designed for neurotypical, able-bodied kids, leaving out those with different abilities. Thanks to the ECAP Lab and Go Baby Go! kids of all abilities have a chance to play and, as a result, learn.

Go Baby Go! for instance modifies ride-on toy cars for toddlers, giving those with limited mobility new means to play and interact with their environment, which often results in more communication and expression. This and other adaptive toys offered through these research programs help kids, including those with autism, learn through play and engage with their communities.

Participating families say opportunities like this are difficult to come by.

ā€œIt can be particularly challenging for our families because their children not only have autism, but oftentimes other complex medical conditions,ā€ says Clinical Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Jennifer Tucker, the director of Go Baby Go!

Approximately 40% of the children the Early Communication and Play Lab and Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½ Go Baby Go! serve are diagnosed with autism.

Approximately 40% of the children the ECAP Lab and Go Baby Go! serve are diagnosed with ASD. Together, they are studying how their interventions improve communication, mobility and participation. They accept new participants on an ongoing basis.

The work doesnā€™t stop there. The Center at Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½ connects Floridians with disabilities, including those with autism, with assistive technologies and related services to increase their independence. The Center pairs children and adults with the right devices, like specially designed communication apps, cognitive aides and adapted computer equipment, and helps families and service-providers learn how to support their use by individuals with disabilities in everyday environments.

At the College of Medicine, researchers are studying ASD on a molecular level, Daly says, and the in the College of Community Innovation and Education spearheads initiatives to prepare and retain teachers to serve students with special needs.

ā€œReceiving an ASD diagnosis can be overwhelming,ā€ Daly says. ā€œWe are here to help families get the resources and care they need at a time when we know their minds may be in a million different directions.ā€

ā€œIā€™m passionate about the work weā€™re doing, and now you know why,ā€ Parsons wrote in an email.

Letā€™s dig into the ā€œwhy,ā€ circling briefly back to degrees. Parsons earned her first degree, an associate degree in medical laboratory technology, from Brookdale Community College (New Jersey) in 1979. In the 43 years between that degree and her masterā€™s in interdisciplinary studies at Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½, sheā€™s raised four children, had three careers, and is now weaving her lessons from life and school into a singular mission.

ā€œI have this constant thought after seeing what my family members have gone through: We need to do better at educating every person,ā€ says Parsons, whose voice resonates with the resolve of a mother and the hope of a researcher on the cusp of discovery. ā€œNot one person should have his or her life diminished simply because we donā€™t know the best way to educate them. Not one.ā€

She has seen what can happen from every angle of her life.

Lessons from Her Mother

She was born and raised as Christine Williams, the oldest of two girls and three boys, an average student from a family of apparent average students, she says.

ā€œSchool was hard for us,ā€ she says. ā€œWe didnā€™t have much direction with our homework unless we were at my auntā€™s house. I always knew I was smarter than my grades showed, and I wanted to learn, so it was frustrating.ā€

Her mom and dad divorced when all five kids were young, leaving mom to raise them on her modest wages working as a secretary during the day and typing labels at night. She couldnā€™t help with schoolwork because of her tiring schedule and for a reason no one knew about.

ā€œLooking back,ā€ Parsons says, ā€œI can see that mom had such bad anxiety that she couldnā€™t even talk with teachers about school. Iā€™m pretty sure itā€™s the reason she stopped going to college after one year.ā€

She and her siblings didnā€™t have the money or family guidance to go to a four-year college, so Christine went to Brookdale and began to ā€œlearn how to learn.ā€

ā€œThose two years gave me confidence and opened doors to a career,ā€ she says. ā€œI made more money in my first year out of college than my mother was able to make with 15 years of experience. She could have done more, but the anxiety created barriers.ā€

Her mother wasnā€™t the only one in the family who would encounter life-altering obstacles in education.

Lessons from Her Brother

Parsons says sheā€™s ā€œliving proofā€ of what it means to be a lifelong learner. She thrives on the challenge of thinking through problems and advancing solutions.

ā€œA lot of people are better at figuring things out instead of downloading information and repeating it back. My middle brother, Michael, was an incredible landscaper. Heā€™d look at a space, do the calculations in his head, and then come up with something beautiful. But growing up, the schools werenā€™t equipped to help with his problems.ā€

Michael could barely read. He could multiply three-digit numbers in his head, but when it came to written instructions or job applications, he was lost. The everyday frustrations drove him to alcohol and, eventually, to homelessness. In May 2020, Michael Gerard Williams, 53, died while sleeping in a homeless camp in New Jersey.

ā€œMy brother was big, energetic, and had so much potential,ā€ Parsons says. ā€œIf someone had known in school that he needed help with reading, thereā€™s no telling what he could have done. His life never should have gone the way it did.ā€

Lessons from Her Children

In her first career through the 1980s and early 90s, Parsons thought she had the best job ever. Officially, she was a ā€œsales rep for cancer research and diagnoses.ā€ The technology helped save lives and sold itself. Parsons just had to show pathology technicians how to use it. But at the end of 1997, with three sons at home and a daughter on the way, Parsons and her husband, Rick, decided to it would be best if she left the workforce so she could provide what she says her own mother couldnā€™t ā€” help with schoolwork and attention to any signs of difficulty. When Tom was in third grade, he started failing. The school agreed something was wrong, but didnā€™t know what it was. Parsons did her own research and got the testing necessary to find the problem.

ā€œIt was the first time anyone in our family took a step toward finding answers,ā€ Parsons says.

She found out Tom had auditory processing disorder. His brain, like many, is wired in a way that interprets sounds differently and delays a response. Though it appears on paper to be an auditory condition, it often pairs with learning deficiencies, being easily distracted, and social challenges that can lead to a life of negative feedback and loneliness.

Like so many learning disabilities, auditory processing disorder creates problems no one really understands except the person who has it ā€¦ or the parent trying to help.

Parsons would not accept the advice to ā€œlet Tom figure it out.ā€ Sheā€™d seen where that can lead. She helped him with a special reading program, hired a tutor, and by his freshman year of high school Tom could read at a college level. In 2015 he graduated from Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½ with a degree in political science.

In the meantime, Christine also found out that her second son, Tim, is dyslexic. So, she enrolled him into a high school with a specialized technology program. Tim would earn a degree in digital media from Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½ in 2017, the same year Christine completed her bachelorā€™s in science education.

A third son, Stephen, tested positive at a young age for food allergies, which can affect a personā€™s ability to focus. By this time, Parsons knew her way around learning barriers. Stephen graduated from high school in 2014, enlisted in the U.S. Marines, and went on to firefighting school.

ā€œFinding the right fit is crucial,ā€ Parsons says.

Her youngest child, Sara, is on track to graduate from Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½ in 2023 with a double major in art and engineering.

ā€œSchool has never been hard for her,ā€ Parsons says, ā€œbut that doesnā€™t make her more ā€˜normal.ā€™ We all have quirks. Itā€™s important to understand what they are and provide direction so each person can thrive.ā€

This is the driving force in her work at the Toni Jennings Institute. Parsons adds her lessons from life to the teamā€™s research on Project FOCUS, which will develop a way to evaluate students for deficits in executive functions (everyday skills like following a schedule, remembering instructions, and having goals) and provide solutions they can use throughout life.

ā€œProject FOCUS could have changed my brotherā€™s life,ā€ Parsons says. ā€œHe suffered and didnā€™t know why. No child ā€¦ no person ā€¦ should feel lost, isolated, constantly criticized, or like they donā€™t belong simply because we donā€™t understand.

ā€œAnd then think about the kids whose families canā€™t afford a specialist. What happens to them? What are we losing as a society?ā€

On May 8, the day after her graduation, Parsonsā€™ children will be home for Motherā€™s Day to celebrate. The weekend will be not so much a culmination as it will be a time to catch her breath and enjoy the family.

ā€œTheyā€™re my inspiration,ā€ she says.

A day later sheā€™ll continue pushing forward, motivated by thoughts of her mother, sons and brother.

ā€œI think about my brother every single day,ā€ she says. ā€œHe could have been amazing. Iā€™m doing this work because I donā€™t want anyone else to be left thinking ā€˜what could have been.ā€™ ā€

, coordinated by TJEEI scholarĀ Ā and doctoral candidate Matt Taylor, provided unique and extensive educational opportunities to students with Down Syndrome ages 5-7 as well as their families during this school year. The students worked throughout both semesters on lessons and activities in reading, math, speech and language, and occupational therapy. At the same time, parents studied with Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½ faculty membersĀ ,Ģż, andĀ Ā on ways to continue their students’ educational development and achievement at home.

In addition to the benefits for the participantsĀ and their families, Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½ students gained valuable experience and in-service credit opportunities while working directly with students with Down Syndrome. Jennifer Holbrook, co-coordinator of this year’s program, tells us that they have had “anywhere from 9 to 16 student volunteers – undergrad, graduate, doctoral candidates, most of whom need some type of service learning credit for their class(es). We’ve had students who have started in the fall and liked it so much that they have continued with us even once they no longer need any credit.”

“It’s been an amazing experience, and it’s been a wonderful way of giving back to the community,” Jennifer Holbrook tells us. “I have a history of working with people with Down syndrome, so it is kind of in my blood to work with these students, and it has been a joy to partner with the organization and to partner with them throughout the year. It takes what Toni Jennings wanted this (the institute) to be and puts it into practice.”

The 2014-2015 school year was the first year of this program at Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½, and the hope is to expand next year and raise the number to 30 exceptional students who are participating in the program and receiving individual and group education in these various program areas. The success of this first year is evident not only in the 5-7 year olds and their progress, but also in the attitudes, experience, and accomplishments of Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½ education students and the recognition of the Toni Jennings Exceptional Education Institute in the community.

“I think that the benefit for the Institute as well as Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½ students is just to open their eyes to children with disabilities and families who deal with children who have disabilities,ā€ Jennifer continues. ā€œThe fact of the matter is that most classes these days, you’re going to have at least one student, if not more than one student, who has an exceptionality. So it’s really opened the students’ eyes to what these kids are like, because they may never have worked with students like this before. And for the (Toni Jennings Exceptional Education) Institute, one of the benefits is just building our name out in the community. People are seeing that this is something that TJEEI is doing for our community.”

‘s school year wrap-up event on May 2nd will have a regular class during the first part of the day and then a graduation for the students afterwards, and the Down Syndrome FoundationĀ has invited all of the student volunteers and participants to a celebratory dinner at the conclusion of this semester as well. For additional information on programs like this one offered by the Toni Jennings Exceptional EducationĀ Institute, visit theĀ .

Led by volunteers who areĀ deaf and fluent in American Sign Language, students took part in team-building activities based on ā€œThe Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teensā€ by author Sean Covey.

Facilitator Malia Johnson, president of the Deaf Talk consulting firm, shared strategies for common challenges, such as addressing classmatesā€™ misconceptions, applying for college, and participating in extracurricular activities. Students also interacted with a panel of successful people who are deaf, including a NASA employee and Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½ political science graduate student Jacob Salem.

The camp was also sponsored Ā鶹ӳ»­“«Ć½ā€™s Toni Jennings Exceptional EducationĀ Institute, with support from the 2013 Disney Helping Kids Shine Grant.

ā€œBefore this camp, I was not ready to go back to school. I was bored and not able to make friends,ā€ said 13-year-old Dakota Rochette, a 7th-grade student at Greenwood Lakes Middle School. ā€œNow, I am ready for school, hoping to keep getting Aā€™s in my classes, and ready to make friends by being helpful, respecting others, talking, and staying friendly.ā€