Centering the Knowledge of Neurodivergent and Disabled Educators & Educators to Be

An Introduction to the Special Issue

Authors

  • Carlyn Mueller University Wisconsin - Madison
  • Victoria VanUitert Bowling Green State University
  • Lauren Zepp University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Abstract

An introduction to the NERDS Special Issue from the guest editors. 

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Carlyn Mueller, University Wisconsin - Madison

Carlyn Mueller is an Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Department of Rehabilitation Psychology & Special Education. Her research focuses on disability identity development in school contexts; including development of disability community in special education, disability representation in curriculum, and intersectionality of race and disability.

Victoria VanUitert, Bowling Green State University

Dr. Victoria J. VanUitert is an assistant professor in the School of Inclusive Teacher Education at Bowling Green State University. Her research focuses on a) developing interventions to improve the social-emotional & academic success and well-being of neurodivergent individuals (e.g., autistic, with ADHD, with learning disabilities), (b) exploring the experiences of neurodivergent individuals and the implications of these outcomes, and (c) preparing pre- and in-service K-12 teachers and university and service professionals to provide inclusive, affirming, and effective learning experiences for their students.

Lauren Zepp, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Lauren Zepp (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. Her research focuses on special education teacher preparation with two primary strands: (1) building pre-service teachers’ knowledge and skills for delivering effective reading instruction and (2) supporting disabled and neurodivergent teacher candidates. Dr. Zepp teaches introduction to special education, as well as courses on reading assessments and interventions.

Cover of JOSEP. A tree with many colors and the title of the journal.

Downloads

Published

04/23/2026

How to Cite

Mueller, C., VanUitert, V., & Zepp, L. (2026). Centering the Knowledge of Neurodivergent and Disabled Educators & Educators to Be: An Introduction to the Special Issue. Journal of Special Education Preparation, 6(1). Retrieved from https://openjournals.bsu.edu/JOSEP/article/view/6259

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 1 (2026): NERDS Special Issue

Section

NERDS Special Issue

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Carlyn Mueller, Victoria VanUitert, Lauren Zepp

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.