UAH COED welcomes Autism expert, Dr. Christine E. Reeve

Christine E. Reeve, nationally recognized clinical psychologist, special education consultant and expert on Autism Spectrum Disorder will conduct two seminars on Thursday, Aug. 9, on the campus of The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH).

The seminar “Autism & Higher Education: What Every Faculty Member Should Know,” will be presented from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and again in the afternoon from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., in Roberts Recital Hall (room 325). Both sessions are free and open to the public. Dr. Reeve’s visit to UAH is sponsored in part by the Alabama Regional Autism Network (RAN), the UAH College of Education, and Office of Academic Affairs.

A sister with Autism and a family of educators helped establish Reeve’s career in special education and clinical psychology. The founder and director of Reeve Autism Consulting, she provides technical assistance and professional development to schools around the U.S.

She has authored several books for special education teachers including Taming the Data Monster and Setting Up Classroom Spaces for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Reeve is devoted to helping teachers reach students who often have autism or severe behavioral issues. She authors the blog Autism Classroom Resources, developed the Special Educator Academy and is also a teacher-author for TeachersPayTeachers, an online marketplace where teachers sell their original lesson plans and other course materials to other teachers, and also share for free.

For nearly 15 years she was employed at Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Mailman Segal Institute in several academic and administrative positions including the Director of the Therapeutic Intervention Program for children with significant behavioral issues and Autism, and as a consultant for the Autism Consortium providing consultation and training to school systems across the country addressing the needs of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Before leaving NSU, Reeve served as the Director of Academic Programs and developed, in collaboration with Dr. Susan Kabot, the Autism Master’s and Doctoral course series in the School of Education, and the Applied Behavior Analysis Concentration in the Master’s of Science Counseling Program. Kabot is the Executive Director of the Autism Institute at NSU.

Reeve presents to a variety of audiences across the country on positive behavioral support, classroom organization and design, educational strategies for students with ASD, and other related topics. In addition, she serves on the Panel of Professional Advisors for the Autism Society.

Reeve earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Stony Brook University, New York.

In 2009, the Alabama Department of Mental Health named The University of Alabama (UA Tuscaloosa) a Regional Autism Network (RAN) site. UA is one of five autism resource hubs in the state.

Dr. Whitney Meade, Assistant Professor of Special Education in the COED is the principal investigator for UAH RAN.

The resource hubs were established for individuals affected by autism, their families and other agencies. With the support of multiple state legislators, the network has received funding to begin serving families. Additional RAN resource hubs include The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Auburn University and The University of South Alabama.

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