BOONE, N.C. — Students in the speech-language pathology, reading education and special education programs at Appalachian State University will continue to receive specialized training in “high intensity” needs as part of their graduate program thanks to a five-year Interdisciplinary Support for High-Intensity Needs in Education (iSHINE) grant awarded to Appalachian faculty.
Dr. Emily Lakey, assistant professor in Appalachian’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, was awarded $242,599 from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). This funding, provided for the duration of Oct. 1, 2018–Sept. 30, 2019, is in addition to the initial funding she received for the project in 2017.
In early February, Lakey received an additional $121,299 in funding for the project. According to Appalachian’s Office of Research, she expects to receive over $1 million when the project is fully funded.
Throughout the five-year duration of the project (2017–22), Lakey said 28 Appalachian iSHINE scholars will receive the specialized training needed to serve children with high intensity needs as members of interdisciplinary teams in school settings.
Examples of high intensity needs include multiple disabilities, significant cognitive disabilities, significant physical disabilities, significant sensory disabilities, significant autism, significant emotional disabilities or significant learning disabilities.
“Four cohorts of seven scholars will participate in interdisciplinary graduate coursework and 20 hours of additional coordinated field experience with children with high intensity needs,” Lakey explained.
“Scholars will gain competencies in focused instruction and intensive individualized interventions in the areas of language and communication, assistive technology, literacy and behavior management.”
Appalachian’s iSHINE grant is administered through the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Institute for Health and Human Services (IHHS) within the university’s Beaver College of Health Sciences.
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About the Beaver College of Health Sciences
Appalachian State University’s Beaver College of Health Sciences (BCHS), opened in 2010, is transforming the health and quality of life for the communities it serves through interprofessional collaboration and innovation in teaching, scholarship, service and clinical outreach. The college enrolls more than 3,600 students and offers 10 undergraduate degree programs, nine graduate degree programs and four certificates across six departments: Nursing, Nutrition and Health Care Management, Public Health and Exercise Science, Recreation Management and Physical Education, Rehabilitation Sciences, and Social Work. The college’s academic programs are located in the Holmes Convocation Center on App State’s main campus and the Levine Hall of Health Sciences, a state-of-the-art, 203,000-square-foot facility that is the cornerstone of Boone’s Wellness District. In addition, the college supports the Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness and has collaborative partnerships with the Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s Physician Assistant Program, UNC Health Appalachian and numerous other health agencies. Learn more at https://healthsciences.appstate.edu.
About the Reich College of Education
Appalachian State University offers one of the largest undergraduate teacher preparation programs in North Carolina, graduating about 500 teachers a year. The Reich College of Education enrolls more than 2,000 students in its bachelor’s, master’s, education specialist and doctoral degree programs, with offerings that span multiple fields — from teacher preparation, counseling, and therapy, to higher education, school and student affairs administration, library science, educational leadership and more. With over 10,000 alumni employed in North Carolina public schools, there is at least one Reich College graduate in every county in the state. Learn more at https://rcoe.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
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