News

Baylor Center for Developmental Disabilities within the University School of Education is joining With Ministries on a new program called Worship as One: Learning with Children with Disabilities about Worship and Prayer. Lilly Endowment Inc. is supporting the program with a $300,000 grant to With Ministries.

BCDD is launching new research focused on faith communities and inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), led by executive director Dr. Erik Carter, who arrived at Baylor in January 2023. Read about Dr. Carter's personal journey to an impactful career in research — beginning with a life-altering encounter with young adults with IDD — and what this new research means for the BCDD.

Dr. Erik W. Carter, the Luther Sweet Endowed Chair in Disabilities in the Baylor School of Education and executive director of the Baylor Center for Developmental Disabilities (BCDD), is helping launch a new initiative to support churches in creating more welcoming and accessible experiences for people with autism. Read eight action steps that every church can take immediately.

Dr. Jessica Akers, assistant professor of educational psychology in the Baylor School of Education, has received a $893,409 grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to develop an innovative treatment model for children with autism; the program intentionally focuses on improving the interactions between siblings by inviting the siblings of children with autism to participate as a vital member of the intervention team.

Dr. Tonya Davis, professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, received the Baylor Outstanding Faculty Award for Scholarship for Tenured Faculty. Davis specializes in special education and Applied Behavior Analysis and is coordinator of the Special Education Program and the PhD in Educational Psychology. She also serves as graduate program director for the Department of Educational Psychology.

Dr. Jessica Akers, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, specializing in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), received the 2022 Baylor Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching for tenure-track faculty. While carrying a full teaching load, Akers also mentors each of her graduate students and conducts significant research on children with autism and related developmental disabilities.

Oso Able was a half-day event for young adults with disabilities and their parents to explore opportunities for postsecondary educational and vocational experiences. Professionals and service providers shared information about transition services and supports for individuals with developmental disabilities. The event closed with a college/program resource fair.

Kindergarten students walk quietly down the school hallway in single file, hands crossed over their chests in “proud pose.” This is one teacher’s way of helping students move through the halls in a manner that is safe, responsible and respectful.

Abby Hodges, a Baylor School of Education graduate student, was awarded the James Kopp Scholarship Award and also won the poster competition at the conference of the Texas Association for Behavior Analysis. Hodges is a second-year doctoral student in the Department of Educational Psychology, studying Applied Behavior Analysis.

Autism might not be what you think it is. “Some behaviors associated with autism are much more manageable than people think, especially in academic settings,” said Dr. Tracey Sulak, Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology. “You can integrate some children with autism into a regular academic setting, but you have to know how to do it.”

School of Education student Stephanie Wright of Plano was named “Student Teacher of the Year” for the State of Texas by the Texas Directors of Field Experience (TDFE), the organization of faculty members within university teacher-education programs who supervise field experiences.

“That child is a natural leader.”
That’s something you might have heard, or maybe you’ve even said it. But is it true?

Christmas break finds most Baylor faculty enjoying a sabbatical of caroling, eating and resting from school obligations. But peek inside the home of Baylor School of Education (SOE) Senior Lecturer Tamara Hodges during the holiday season, and you will find her buried under books about improving teaching methods.

Baylor University’s School of Education is hosting 250 teachers for a three-day Summer Literacy Institute at the Foster Campus for Business and Innovation on July 17-19.