Graduate Certificate in
Developmental Disabilities
Interdisciplinary Human Development Institute
University of Kentucky

Home        About        Courses        Faculty

Affiliate Faculty

Harold L. Kleinert, Ed.D. Adjunct Associate Professor Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling College of Education University of Kentucky

Dr. Harold Kleinert is the executive director of the Human Development Institute-University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service at the University of Kentucky. He has directed a broad range of federally funded demonstration and research projects, including the KY Alternate Portfolio Study, the Paraprofessional Training Component for Kentucky's State Improvement Grant, the KY Systems Change Project for Students with Severe Disabilities, the Personal Futures Planning Project for Individuals with Deaf-Blindness, and the KY Peer Service Learning Project. Dr. Kleinert co-directed the development of KY's alternate assessment (resulting in the first fully inclusive educational assessment system in the nation), and is nationally recognized for his research on alternate educational assessments. He has published widely in the area of alternate assessment for students with significant disabilities under IDEA, including research on the impact of the inclusion of students with significant disabilities in large-scale assessment and accountability systems, and is the lead author of the text Alternate Assessment: Measuring Outcomes and Supports for Students with Disabilities. 

H. Thompson Prout, Ph.D. Professor and Chairperson Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology College of Education University of Kentucky

Dr. Tom Prout, Professor, received his Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of Indiana in 1976. He did his postdoc training in Counseling/Rehabilitation Psychology at the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center in Fisherville, Virginia. In 1983 he completed a Specialization Program in Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri. His research interests are: therapeutic interventions with children and adolescents, personality assessments with children, adolescents and special populations MR and Developmental Disabilities), Global Self-Concept, and test development. A licensed psychologist, Dr. Prout teaches courses in social-emotional assessment, therapeutic interventions and internship, and child and adolescent counseling. He is a full member of the Graduate Faculty.

Neel Soares Assistant Professor Department of Pediatrics College of Medicine University of Kentucky

Dr. Neelkamal Soares is a board-certified Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician, and currently Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Family & Community Medicine at University of Kentucky. He completed Pediatric residency at University of Illinois-Chicago, and fellowship in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics at University of Maryland-Baltimore. His areas of interest are autism spectrum disorders, medical education in child development, and innovative teleconferencing technology to provide consultation on children and adolescents with developmental, behavioral and learning problems across the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Jane Kleinert Assistant Professor College of Health Sciences University of Kentucky

Jane Kleinert is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Communication Sciences and Disorders in the College of Health Sciences at the University of Kentucky. She is a licensed Speech/Language Pathologist with over 30 years of experience specializing in services to children with severe/multiple disabilities, oral feeding disorders and early intervention. Dr. Kleinert is currently the primary investigator for the Kentucky Youth Advocacy Project, a three year grant funded by the KY Council on Developmental Disabilities. This project is designed to teach younger children with disabilities self-advocacy skills with a special focus on children with severe communication deficits. Dr. Kleinert is also involved in research on the communication characteristics of students who are included in Alternate Assessment. Her teaching areas include communication programming for phonological disorders, pediatric feeding and motor speech disorders and early intervention. Jane and her husband Harold are life-long Kentuckians and have three adult children.

Debra Harley Chair and Professor Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling College of Education University of Kentucky

Debra A. Harley, Ph.D., is Professor and Chair of the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling at the University of Kentucky. Her primary interests are cultural and gender issues, substance abuse, and ethics. Dr. Harley has published extensively in top tier journals of rehabilitation counseling and is co-editor of the book, Contemporary Mental Health Issues Among African Americans. She received the Educator of the Year Award from the National Council on Rehabilitation Education in 2006. Dr. Harley is former Editor of the Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling and the Journal of Rehabilitation Administration. She is a board member of the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC), and a faculty associate with the University of Kentucky Center on Research on Violence Against Women.

     

Judith L. Page, Ph.D
Chair, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences
Associate Professor, Division of Communication Disorders
College of Allied Health Professions
University of Kentucky

Marlene B. Huff, Ph.D
Assistant Professor
College of Social Work
University of Kentucky

Katherine McCormick
Associate Professor, Early Childhood
College of Education, Special Education
University of Kentucky

Guest Lecturers

Marie Allison SCL/Board Member Department for Aging and Independent Living Human Development Institute University of Kentucky

Graduated from University of Kentucky Law School in 1972.  Worked for Protection and Advocacy for several years, supervising attorneys, drafting legislation, representing persons with disabilities. Practiced criminal law, focusing on issues related to disabilities. Member of various advocacy organizations, TASH, ChADD of the Bluegrass, Autism Society of the Bluegrass, The Arc of Kentucky, The Arc of Central Kentucky. In private practice represented individuals with disabilities in cases involving special education services. Represented individuals in guardianship matters. Worked on Inclusion Project for The Arc of Kentucky for over a year; was Outreach Worker under a Robert Wood Johnson Grant for two years educating individuals about the consumer directed option for receiving Medicaid Services, and currently work as State Coordinator for the Hart-Supported Living Program. Volunteer on the IHDI Advisory Board, Kentucky Autism Training Center Board, Regional Council for Hart-Supported Living Program and Center for Independent Living for several years. Mother of son with multiple challenges due to autism, severe mental retardation, seizure disorder, and mild cerebral palsy

Sara Boyd Graduate Student Clinical Psychology University of Kentucky

Sara E. Boyd, M.S., is a graduate student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Kentucky. She obtained her Master's in Counseling Psychology from the University of Kentucky and her Bachelor's of Science in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sara was employed for a number of years as a direct service provider for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Illinois, Washington, and Kentucky. Her research interests include general personality functioning in adults with intellectual disabilities, as well as education/training for medical professionals to work with patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She resides in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband William and her two dogs, Djuna and Sweetpea. 

MyraBeth Bundy, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Psychology Eastern Kentucky University

Dr. MyraBeth Bundy is an associate professor of psychology and director of the Developmental Disabilities Specialty Clinic at EKU. Dr. Bundy, who joined the EKU staff in 2003, completed a pre-doctoral internship at the University of North Carolina's TEACCH program in 1995 and received a Ph.D. in Clinical-Community Psychology from The University of South Carolina that same year, joined the EKU faculty in 1996. She also completed a post-doctoral fellowship in developmental disabilities at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in 1996.

Mike Burdge Technical Assistance Specialist Inclusive Large Scale Standards and Assessment (ILSSA) Human Development Institute University of Kentucky

Mike is a technical assistance and alternate assessment specialist and product developer with ILSSA. He also serves as a technical assistance specialist with the National Alternate Assessment Center (NAAC). Mike began his 25-year teaching career at a school for students with moderate and severe disabilities and eventually initiated and facilitated inclusionary programs as a teacher in several public schools. He was awarded the Stella A. Edwards Teacher of the Year award in 1996 and was an Ashland Oil Teacher Achievement Award recipient in 1997. He has been an adjunct professor of special education at the University of Cincinnati and the College of Mt. St. Joseph. In his work for ILSSA and NAAC, states he has assisted twelve states, territories, and freely associated states with their alternate assessment, curriculum and teaching practice. Mike presents frequently at conferences conducted by CCSSO, CEC, NCEO, TASH, numerous statewide education agencies, and various OSEP funded Regional Resource Centers, serves on expert panels for several states, and has played key roles on a number of enhanced assessment grants. Mike has been a contributing author to Alternate Assessment: Measuring Outcomes and Supports for Students with Disabilities (Kleinert & Kearns, 2001), Mental Retardation and intellectual Disabilities: Teaching Students Using Innovative and Research-based Strategies (Wehmeyer & M. Agran, 2005), Teaching Language Arts, Math, & Science to Students with Significant Disabilities (Browder and Spooner, 2006), as well as numerous journal and periodical publications.

Gilson Capilouto, PhD., CCC-SLP, ATP Associate Professor Division of Communication Sciences and Disorders College of Allied Health Professions University of Kentucky

Gilson Capilouto, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the Division of Communication Sciences and Disorders at University of Kentucky. She came to Kentucky from the Medical University of South Carolina where she served as Project Director for the MUSC Assistive Technology Education Demonstration Center. She holds the ATP (Assistive Technology Professional) credential from RESNA and she has practiced and presented extensively in the areas of augmentative communication and assistive technology. Her research interests include AAC performance measures and narrative discourse performance across the lifespan. 

Jean Clayton Technical Specialist Inclusive Large Scale Standards and Assessment (ILSSA) Human Development Institute University of Kentucky

Jean is a technical assistance and alternate assessment specialist and product developer with ILSSA. She taught for 22 years, 20 years of those years teaching students with significant cognitive disabilities. While teaching she developed a statewide training module on building peer relationships & supports with middle schoolers, served on the state advisory board for Alternate Assessment and as a technology resource teacher. At ILSSA she has developed training modules on accessing the general curriculum, self-determination, data collection, and inclusion. She has presented nationally and internationally on topics of accessing the general curriculum, alternate assessment, and inclusion. Jean has served on advisory boards for state alternate assessments and provided consultation and technical assistance for multiple states, territories, and freely associated states on alternate assessment and accessing the general curriculum. She has contributed to current literature as an invited contributor to Alternate Assessment: Measuring outcomes and Supports for Students with Disabilities (Kleinert & Kearns, 2001) and Teaching Language Arts, Math, & Science to Students with Significant Disabilities (Browder & Spooner, 2006) and other articles including A Four-Step Process for Accessing the General Curriculum for Students With Significant Cognitive Disabilities.

Beth Harrison Program Administrator II Post-School Outcomes Study Human Development Institute University of Kentucky

Dr. Harrison has worked in the field of disability for over twenty-five years.  She has extensive background in supports for persons with disabilities serving over the years as case manager, job trainer, vocational evaluator, and adult day program director.  Since the mid 1980s’, Beth’s work has focused on the transition from school to community for students with educational disabilities including  the importance of self-determination and self-advocacy skills for youth to ensure successful transitions.  She has provided extensive training and technical assistance to individuals, LEAs, and other human service providers regarding the blending of transition and person centered planning; has facilitated several Personal Futures Planning teams; and has developed several products whose purposes are to provide awareness and informed choice making for students with disabilities. Beth’s current research interests are related to the post school outcomes of youth with disabilities and the malleable school factors which predict post school success.

Beth holds a Ph.D. In Educational Psychology from the University of Kentucky

Jason Jones Director of Communication/Media Relations Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Education Cabinet

Jason Jones is the Director of Community Relations for the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation in Frankfort. He was a four-sport athlete in high school before an accident involving the high-jump resulted in his becoming a quadriplegic. Jason has 10 years communications experience.  He graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in Mass Communications in 1998. He began his career as a journalist with assignments at the Lexington Herald Leader before becoming an editor of Somerset’s Commonwealth Journal in 2002. He served on the Statewide Council for Vocational Rehabilitation for four years and came to state government in 2001. He has served as communication director for OVR, the Kentucky Business Leadership Network and the Kentucky Assistive Technology Loan Corporation and was appointed by Governor Steve Beshear to his current post in June 08.