FAU Department of Special Education

Here’s to a brand new school year! FAU College of Education hosted its annual “Welcome Back” event this afternoon.
The theme of the event was the sport of baseball, highlighting “Small Wins, Big Impact.” This year we are charged to acknowledge that the small gains (by all members of our “team”), are what will move us forward.


FAU Department of Special Education

Join FAU Department of Special Education in wishing our summer 2026 graduates congratulations. This is our largest master’s graduating class since the revised master’s degree was introduced in the fall of 2023. Just a few of the 90+ grads are pictured here. We also give space to our College of Education colleagues and their graduates.

If you are interested in earning a M.Ed. In Special Education, visit us on the web at https://www.fau.edu/education/academicdepartments/ese/degree-programs/masters-special-education/

If you are seeing this, it means you are already connected with FAU Department of Special Education. But are you connected with the FAU College of Education socials?

ABAI 2026. FAU Department of Special Education doctoral students Chinwe Ugwuozor and Riane Santa Cruz De Melo recently presented at the 2026 Association for Behavior Analysis International conference in San Francisco, CA.
Chinwe presented a poster titled The Prevalence of Autism Diagnosis in the United States and the Delayed Diagnosis Among Black Children; and, Riane presented a poster titled Behavior Analytic Caregiver Training: Bridging the Research to Practice Gap. Congratulations to them both.

Just prior to yesterday’s graduation ceremony, FAU College of Education hosted it's annual Honors and Awards Ceremony, taking the opportunity to celebrate 2025-2026 student and faculty awardees.
Join us in sending congratulatory wishes to everyone, especially FAU Department of Special Education awardees!

The Department of Special Education recently hosted an engaging doctoral information event highlighting our newly revamped Ph.D. in Special Education program. Attendees learned about exciting program updates, explored opportunities to generate and disseminate research, and discussed pathways to leadership and career transformation in special education.

Guests connected with faculty, current doctoral students, and future peers while enjoying light refreshments, door prizes, and swag. It was an energizing first step for many toward their future in special education leadership and scholarship!

For more information on the Ph.D. program, contact Dr. Katie Miller, Doctoral program coordinator, [email protected]

FAU Department of Special Education send wishes of congratulations to our Spring 2026 graduates.

Wishing our OWLs all the best, as yet another semester comes to a close.

How can educators better support students who need additional help in math?

At Florida Atlantic University’s College of Education, research by Joseph Gagnon, Ph.D., examines how special education teachers in Finland approach math instruction for students requiring additional support.

The study explores how teachers cover topics like algebra, geometry, functions, and problem solving, along with how they use evidence based strategies such as explicit instruction, real world applications, peer collaboration, and self monitoring. It also highlights where additional support and training may be needed.

This work reflects our commitment to advancing research that improves teaching practices and student success locally and globally.

Read more: https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/special-education-math-instruction.php

Lessons from Finland: Gaps in Special Education Math Instruction New research on Finnish lower secondary special needs math teachers finds strong confidence overall but gaps in statistics/probability and uneven use of evidence-based strategies, calling for targeted training.

FAU College of Education, in partnership with Florida Atlantic Alumni, hosted its inaugural “Partners in Excellence Event: Honoring Outstanding Mentors.”

Mentor teachers, educational leaders, counselors, speech-language pathologists, and Florida Atlantic Center for Autism and Related Disabilities staff, were honored for the outstanding work they do with our students.

Join us in congratulating all the mentors, and especially FAU Department of Special Education/CARD honorees.