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Open rank position at University of Haifa

By John Lloyd on Aug. 9, 2010.

The Department of Learning Disabilities and the Edmund J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities at the Faculty of Education of the University of Haifa invite applications for a full-time, tenure-track position, to begin 1 October 2010 or later.

Preference will be given to candidates with research expertise in the field of neuropsychology and attention/attentional disorders and/or social/affective functioning, although outstanding candidates in other areas related to neuropsychological aspects of learning and learning disabilities will also be considered.
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Ivar Lovaas, 1927-2010

By John Lloyd on Aug. 4, 2010.

O. Ivar Lovaas, the clinical researcher responsible for the development of teaching procedures that are at the base of nearly all effective therapies for children with autism, passed away 2 August 2010. Professor Lovaas, who was born in Norway in 1927, was among a pioneering group of scholars who studied the use of principles based on behavioral psychology in treating deviant child behavior. Along with others, some of whom he numbered as co-authors (e.g., Donald M. Baer, Sidney W. Bijou), he can rightfully be considered a founder of applied behavior analysis.
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Missouri classroom management research position

By John Lloyd on Jun. 29, 2010.

The Department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology at the University of Missouri is recruiting for a highly qualified individual to help coordinate a new large-scale group randomized intervention trial to evaluate the efficacy of a teacher classroom management training program. For a full description of the position, which is at the Assistant or Associate Research Professor rank, please download the position announcement.

Georgia LD position

By jhl-uga on Jun. 21, 2010.

The Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education at the University of Georgia (Athens, GA, US) announced a search for an individual to fill tenure-earning position in the area of learning disabilities at the assistant or associate professor level. Please see the accompanying PDF for details. For additional information, please contact
Jennifer Lindstrom, Ph.D.
Search Committee Chair
Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education
516 Aderhold Hall
Athens, GA 30602

Georgia ECSE position

By jhl-uga on Jun. 21, 2010.

The Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education at the University of Georgia (Athens, GA, US) announced a search for an individual to fill tenure earning position in the area of early childhood special education at the assistant or associate professor level. Please see the accompanying PDF for details. For additional information, please contact
Cynthia Vail, Ph.D.
Search Committee Chair
Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education
516 Aderhold Hall
Athens, GA 30602

Considering goals for individuals with severe disabilities

By John Lloyd on Jun. 20, 2010.

Writing in the New York Times, Sharon Otterman reviews some of the challenges encountered in providing educational services to students with multiple and severe disabilities. In her extended article, Mr. Otterman uses the case of Donovan Forde, a 20-year-old youth who is nearing the end of mandated educational services in the US, to explain how teachers must weigh provision of academic experiences and functional living needs.

And yet, because of his cognitive disabilities brought on by a traumatic brain injury at nearly 6 months old, it is almost impossible to know what he comprehends and retains. After 15 years in the New York City school system, he is less reserved and more social, but otherwise has shown almost no progress, his mother said.

Once predominately isolated in institutions, severely disabled students have been guaranteed a free, appropriate public education like all children since the passage of federal legislation in 1975. In the years since, school districts across the country have struggled to find a balance between instruction in functional skills and academics while providing basic custodial care.

Read to Ms. Ottermn’s article. It would be a worthwhile one for discussion in courses about teaching students with disabilities.

Shining Stars conference in Virginia Beach

By John Lloyd on May. 19, 2010.

Shining Stars brochure

A coalition of groups concerned with early childhood education will hold its seventh annual conference in mid-July of 2010. Shining Stars: Charting the Future for Today’s Children will be held at the Cavalier Inn in Virginia Beach (VA, US). Click on the upcoming image to download a brochure or go to the Shining Stars conference website for more information.

WVU positions

By John Lloyd on May. 14, 2010.

The WVU Department of Special Education has been approved to offer 2 Teaching Faculty positions in special education for Fall 2010. These benefits-eligible positions are full-time employment for 1-3 years that are renewable, so they offer opportunity for long term employment. The positions focus on teaching and service, including teacher education program coordination responsibilities. There will also be some opportunities for research related to teacher education. These positions may present a good opportunity for a doctoral program graduate who does not wish to focus on research or someone who needs employment now while finishing a degree or considering other employment options.

Position 1 & Position 2>/a>

Exceptional Children’s Week

By John Lloyd on May. 11, 2010.

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) declared the week beginning 9 May 2010 to be “Exceptional Children’s Week.” Pass it along!

Big Sprout show in NYC

By John Lloyd on Apr. 26, 2010.

For those who can make it, I recommend attending the main Sprout Film Festival 30 April through 2 May at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. This is the parent festival for the touring versions, one of which has stopped in my neighborhood a couple of times. Well worth the time. See http://www.sproutfilmfestival.org.