Creating Compassionate Classrooms: Understanding the Continuum of Disabilities and Effective Educational Interventions

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. Young is the recipient of numerous other honors and recognitions including the General Douglas MacArthur Award for distinguished civilian and military leadership and the Vice Admiral John T. Hayward Award for exemplary scholarship. He holds several graduate degrees including a PhD in educational administration and an EdD in educational psychology. Dr. Young has written extensively in the fields of education, counseling, and psychology. Dr. Angela C. Fain has worked in the field of special education for the past 20 years. She received her Ph.D. and M.Ed. in special education at Georgia State University, as well a B.S. in Therapeutic Recreation. She earned national certification as a Nationally Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (TRS). Dr. Fain has worked in some of the most restrictive educational environments that students with disabilities are served, as a both a TRS and special education teacher. She is now an assistant professor at the University of West Georgia. Dr. Fain is a regular presenter at state, national, and international conferences and she is an active board member of Learning Disabilities Worldwide. She has authored several book chapters and articles on various topics in special education ranging from classroom management to successful academic interventions for students with disabilities. Dr. Teresa Allissa Citro is the Chief Executive Officer, Learning Disabilities Worldwide, Inc. and the Founder and President of Thread of Hope, Inc., She is a graduate of Tufts New England Medical School and Northeastern University, Boston. Dr. Citro has co-edited several books on a wide range of topics in special education and she co-authored a popular children's series I Am Full of Possibilities. She is the co-editor of two peer review journals including Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal and Insights on Learning Disabilities from Prevailing Theories to Validated Practices.