Christopher J. Lemons

Christopher J. Lemons, Ph.D., serves as Associate Professor of Special Education in Stanford University's Graduate School of Education, focusing on improving academic outcomes for children with intellectual, developmental, and learning disabilities through evidence-based reading interventions, particularly for individuals with Down syndrome.

His educational background includes:

• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, University of Texas at Austin (1996)
• Bachelor of Science in Applied Learning and Development (Special Education), University of Texas at Austin (1999)
• Master of Arts in Special Education, University of Texas at Austin (2000)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Education and Human Development (Special Education), Peabody College of Vanderbilt University (2008)

Lemons' research spans 18 critical areas including Literacy and Language, Data-Based Individualization, Intervention-Related Assessment, and Professional Development. His recent work emphasizes complex reading instruction for learners with disabilities and training paraeducators for inclusive classrooms, with findings covered in Stanford News including January 2025 research on advanced reading techniques for disabled learners.

His distinguished honors include:

• Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from President Obama (2016)
• Pueschel-Tjossem Research Award from National Down Syndrome Congress (2016)
• Distinguished Early Career Research Award from CEC Division for Research (2017)
• Article of the Year in Assessment for Effective Intervention (2014)

Lemons secures major funding from the Institute of Education Sciences, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (U.S. Department of Education), and National Institutes of Health. He serves as Senior Advisor for the National Center on Intensive Intervention and Progress Center at American Institutes of Research, chairs the Pacific Coast Research Conference Executive Committee, and is President-Elect of the Council for Exceptional Children's Division of Research. His doctoral advisees include Wanjing Anya Ma (Dissertation Reader) and Bonnie Hallman/Megumi Takada (Dissertation Advisors).

Prior to academia, he taught in special education settings including preschool autism units, elementary inclusion programs, and middle school life skills classrooms. He currently teaches courses such as EDUC 285D: Dis/ability and Access in Elementary Classrooms and EDUC 152Q: Improving Inclusive Higher Education for Students with Down Syndrome.