About Us:
David Koppenhaver is a Professor in the Department of Reading Education and Special Education at Appalachian State University. He earned a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction in 1991 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), and he holds NC teaching certification in Reading K-12, Middle Grades Language Arts (Grades 6-9), Intermediate (Grades 4-6), and Elementary Education (Grades K-6). In 1990, he co-founded the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies at the University of North Carolina, and he still collaborates on research and teaching with staff there. In 2002, he was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Queensland in Australia. His research focuses on literacy in children with significant disabilities including autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities, complex communication needs, and multiple disabilities. His current research projects include studies of: visual attention to print in young children with Rett syndrome; reading abilities in children with Williams syndrome; shared storybook reading interventions with core vocabulary in children with multiple disabilities; and early communication and literacy in classrooms serving children with the most significant intellectual disabilities. You can find out more about his work and copies of many of his publications at his Research Gate site.
Sydney Shadrick is an undergraduate student at Appalachian State University, studying Special Education with a Master's degree in reading education. In 2017, Sydney was named a Wilson Scholar at Appalachian. The Wilson Scholars Program is the university’s most prestigious, merit-based scholarship program and embodies the Appalachian spirit: a rich blend of academic excellence, leadership and service. This scholarship program attracts outstanding students, instills in them a commitment to change the world, and provides the resources for students to think creatively, strategically and collaboratively. Sydney and David have been collaborating since her arrival at Appalachian State in examining the reading difficulties of children and adolescents with Williams syndrome.
Bronwyn Harris is currently a doctoral student and adjunct instructor in the Department of Reading Education and Special Education at Appalachian State University. She earned her M.A. in reading education in 2016 from Appalachian State University where she met Dr. David Koppenhaver and began learning and conducting research focusing on literacy in children with significant disabilities including autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities, complex communication needs, and multiple disabilities. You can find out more about her current work and publications at her ResearchGate site.
Tonya Moore is currently a doctoral student and adjunct instructor in the Department of Reading Education and Special Education at Appalachian State University. She earned her M.A. in reading education in 2018 from Appalachian State University. As an undergraduate student in special education, she assisted Dr. David Koppenhaver in research focusing on literacy learning in children with Down syndrome. Before returning to Appalachian to further her education, she worked as a special education teacher for four years in North Carolina public schools. Her research interests focus on literacy in children with significant disabilities including autism spectrum disorders, emotional behavioral disorders, intellectual disabilities, complex communication needs, and multiple disabilities. You can find out more about her current work and publications at her ResearchGate site.
