Bonnie McBride, Ph.D., BCBA-D is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Director of the Oklahoma Autism Center. She has expertise in early childhood special education, early childhood education, and applied behavior analysis. She has a long history of using behavioral principles to work with children with ASD and other disorders. She completed her doctoral work at the University of Washington where she was a teacher in the inclusive preschool and the first head teacher of Project DATA. Since moving to Oklahoma Bonnie has been instrumental in increasing the availability of services to young children with ASD and their families in that state. She has developed a statewide network to implement Project DATA for toddlers and preschoolers in Oklahoma. She has served as the Principal Investigator for two randomized control trials of the Project DATA model funded by the Institute of Education Sciences (Toddler and Preschool).
Crista Scott, M.Ed., BCBA, is a Research Coordinator at the University of Washingtona s Childcare Quality and Early Learning Center for Research and Professional Development (CQEL). Crista taught for eight years in early childhood special education. Most of those eight years were spent as a teacher in an inclusive preschool and coordinator for Project DATA at the University of Washington's Haring Center for Research and Training in Inclusive Education. Crista has a Master's degree in education, with an emphasis in early childhood special education, and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). In addition to teaching in special education, Crista is interested in providing effective professional development activities. She was a product manager for the Office of Head Start's National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning, supporting the development and dissemination of professional development materials for educators in early learning. Crista supported an Institute of Education Sciences grant that investigated the use of self and in-person coaching strategies to increase the use of embedded teaching practices in early childhood special education classrooms. Currently she is coordinating an evaluation project on the implementation of Filming Interactions to Nurture Development (FIND), a program that supports interactions between childcare providers and children in infant/toddler environments. This project is in partnership with Washington State's Department of Early Learning (DEL) and the University of Oregon.
Dr. Sandall is an assistant professor at the University of Washington in special education with a specialization in early intervention and early childhood special education (EI/ECSE). She has directed personnel preparation projects, developed curriculum materials for all age groups, and published materials on instructional strategies to facilitate optimal outcomes for young children with disabilities. Dr. Sandall is a board member of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC), Council for Exceptional Children, and an investigator on DEC's research project to synthesize EI/ECSE research practices and translate them to recommended field practices. She is also co-editor of DEC's Young Exceptional Children monograph series and co-editor of DEC Recommended Practices in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (with Mary McLean and Barbara J. Smith, Sopris West, 2000).
Ilene S. Schwartz, Ph.D. is Professor at the University of Washington in the area of special education. Dr. Schwartz has an extensive background working with young children with special needs, specifically with young children with autism and other disabilities. Dr. Schwartz is the Director of the Haring Center for Research and Training in Inclusive Education at the University of Washington. Dr. Schwartz is the faculty advisor for the inclusive preschool and kindergarten programs at the Experimental Education Unit at the University of Washington, where she maintains an active line of research and personnel preparation activities. Dr. Schwartz is Principal Investigator of several projects, including a model demonstration project to develop school-based services for young children with autism, a research project to assess the differential effectiveness of preschool programs for young children with autism, and a personnel preparation program for early childhood education teachers who work with children with severe disabilities in inclusive settings. Dr. Schwartz has published numerous chapters and articles about early childhood education and social validity. She serves on the editorial review boards of the Journal of Early Intervention and Topics in Early Childhood Special Education.
Julie Ashmun, M.Ed., BCBA is the Director of the Professional Development Unit at the University of Washington's Haring Center for Research and Training in Inclusive Education. She began working in preschool and child care centers in 1995 and since then has been a Project DATA teacher and coordinator, a professional development research assistant and trainer, and a family resource coordinator. Julie has a Master's degree in education, with an emphasis in early childhood special education, and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Julie is interested in effective practices for professional development in education and adult learning. She also devotes her time to researching and working with children with neurodevelopmental delays, including autism, and working with families and educators. Julie's research focuses on assessment and intervention practices for inclusive school based programs for children with disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders.
