Embracing and Educating the Autistic Child : Valuing Those Who Color Outside the Lines

Dr. Nicholas D. Young has worked in diverse educational roles for more than 30 years, serving as a principal, special education director, graduate professor, graduate program director, graduate dean, and longtime superintendent of schools. He was named the Massachusetts Superintendent of the Year; and he completed a distinguished Fulbright program focused on the Japanese educational system through the collegiate level.

Dr. Kristen Bonanno-Sotiropoulos has worked in education at the various levels for more than a dozen years. Her professional career within K12 public education included roles as a special education teacher and special education administrator at the elementary and middle school levels. After her tenure in K12, she transitioned to higher education to teach undergraduate and graduate courses as an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Springfield College located in Springfield, Massachusetts and then moved to Assistant Professor, Director of Special Education Programs at Bay Path University.

Dr. Melissa A. Mumby has worked in various levels of K-12 education for over a decade. She began her career as a high school English and drama teacher, and then transitioned into a role as a special educator, working with both middle and high school students. From there she became a special education coordinator for grades K-5, and eventually the special education director for grades K-12 at a local charter school. She is currently an educational team leader for the Springfield Public Schools, Springfield, MA.