FAU Department of Special Education

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.

FAU Department of Special Education hosted it’s an annual doctoral mixer last evening. Current and prospective doctoral students joined Department faculty for a little mixing and mingling.
If you missed this event, but are interested in earning a PhD in Special Education with us, feel free to contact our Doctoral Coordinator, Dr. Katie Miller ([email protected]).

Each year, FAU honors the service employees give to the University. Individuals are recognized for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, and 50 years of service. Believe it or not, pretty regularly, FAU has at least one employee who has given 50 years of service, which is quite amazing. This year, the FAU Department of Special Education has two honorees celebrating 30 and 25 years respectively: Dr. Rangasamy Ramasamy and Mrs. Ellen Ismalon.
Dr. Ramasamy has served for 30 years. He has seen many changes in the administration, the campus, and, we are certain, in our students. Mrs. Ismalon serves the Department as an administrative assistant. She is the go-to for any and everything that the faculty and staff might need.
Celebrating 15 years of service, we have Dr. Elisa Cruz, and, celebrating 10 years of service, Drs. Lisa Finnegan, Gwendolyn Carey, and Angelica Downey. Join us in congratulating them all!
FAU College of Education

FAU’s 16th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium took place on Friday, April 3. FAU College of Education was well represented.