Christine Ashby

Christine Ashby, Ph.D. is Professor of Inclusive Special Education and Disability at Syracuse University. She teaches across all levels of the program from undergraduate to doctoral, and coordinates the undergraduate Inclusive Elementary and Special Education Program and the 1-6 and 7-12 Inclusive Special Education Masters’ Programs. She is also the Director of the Center on Disability and Inclusion, a disability-related research center that works to develop and implement initiatives promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of school and society—both locally and globally.

Professor Ashby’s teaching and research focus on inclusive education broadly, with specific emphasis on supports for students with labels of autism and other developmental disabilities, communicative diversity, disability studies, and clinically rich teacher preparation. Her work seeks to disrupt dominant notions of disability as deficiency and underscores the importance of considering the lived experiences of individuals with disabilities and creating contexts for competence in inclusive schools and communities.

Ashby’s work has been published in journals including the Equity and Excellence in Education, International Journal of Inclusive Education, Disability and Society, Teacher Education and Special Education, and Intellectual and Developmental Disability. Her co-edited book, Enacting Change from Within: Disability Studies Meets Teaching and Teacher Education explores how disability studies can inform the practical work of teachers. She is also the co-editor of Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning. Current collaborative projects with the Syracuse City School District focus on issues of equity related to special education service provision and access to fine arts, athletics and accelerated classes for students across a variety of demographic factors.

Education:

• Ph.D. Special Education – Syracuse University (2008)
• C.A.S. Disability Studies – Syracuse University (2007)
• M.S. Special Education – Syracuse University (2001)
• B.S. Special and Elementary Education – SUNY Geneseo (1995)

Research Focus:

Inclusive education and teacher preparation, Autism and communication, and Disability Studies