Curry School of Education | University of Virginia

Department: Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education
Programs: Special Education, Teacher Education, Early Childhood & Developmental Risk
Instructor Modifier Number: 2126

434-924-0768- snell@virginia.edu
Ruffner Hall 234, Charlottesville, Virginia

Personal Web Site Curriculum Vitae  [High-Res Image]

Course and Research Involvement: I have been on the faculty since 1973. My primary role has been to prepare teachers of students with severe disabilities and mental retardation and teachers of young children with disabilities. I teach courses that address instructional methods, evaluation of learning, collaborative teamwork, characteristics of intellectual disabilities, and resolution of problem behavior through functional behavioral assessment and positive behavior support. I have authored texts on teaching individuals with severe disabilities and strategies for promoting meaningful inclusion of students with disabilities in general education. Through my coursework and research interests, I have been actively involved with faculty and staff at the Kluge Children�s Rehabilitation Center throughout my career.

Education

• Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1973
• M.A., Michigan State University, 1968
• B.S., Michigan State University, 1966

Research Interests

* Instruction of students with mental retardation and severe disabilities
* Inclusion of students with disabilities in general education
- Teachers� roles and problem-solving in inclusive classrooms
- Teachers� perspectives on the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education
- Inclusive practices: collaborative teaming, social relationships and peer support, behavioral
support, and modifying schoolwork
* Dynamic assessment and instructional approaches for teaching communication skills to
students with severe disabilities
* Teachers� understanding and use of student performance data to make instructional decisions