LaShorage Shaffer

Dr. Shaffer is an Associate Professor in Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education at the University of Michigan-Dearborn in the Department of Education. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she earned her doctorate in Special Education. Dr. Shaffer’s research interests span across personnel preparation of professionals in both the educational and medical fields serving young children at-risk for disabilities and those with disabilities and their families, culturally responsive practices, social emotional development, challenging behavior, emotional/behavioral disorders, policy issues, and professional development. For over 20 years, Dr. Shaffer has been engaged in teaching (both young children and adults), mentoring, supervising, training, advising, evaluating, developing curriculum, evaluating courses, serving on advisory boards and committees, leading programs, engaging in research, and dissemination.

Presentation Title: Supporting Children of Color with Disabilities with Culturally Responsive Practices

Presentation Description: Given the importance and centrality of the ongoing and overall impact that society has on the development of young children with disabilities, especially children of color, it is important to understand the environments in which they learn and magnify the positive influences that are present. These positive perspectives can be integrated into the school and classroom community. In order to combat the achievement and opportunity gaps professionals need to embrace the Uncommon Core (COSEBOC, 2018). Four of the Uncommon Core areas will be presented: 1) School Leadership; 2) arent/Family/Community Engagement Partnership; 3) School Environment and Climate; and 4) Social-Emotional Behavioral Support. In addition, this presentation will describe differing expectations of behaviors that impact children’s learning opportunities in school and at home. Several strategies will be described using a simple A-B-C approach that will identify ways to effectively bridge home and school expectations. Understanding of how differing expectations at home and at school can impact children’s opportunities to learn, the different ways children’s behaviors are perceived and interpreted at school and at home and how strategies are designed to bridge school and home expectations of children’s behaviors will be presented.