معرفی
Julie L. Thompson, PhD, BCBA-D, is an Associate Professor of Special Education at Texas A&M University, serving as Director of the Behavioral Learning INterventions for Children (BLINC) Lab. She is also a Core Faculty Member of the Texas A&M Institute for Early Childhood Development and Education, and an Affiliated Faculty Member with the Center on Disability and Development. Her research focuses on social-justice-driven mixed-methods approaches to academic instruction for students with autism and intellectual disabilities, alongside interventions to address classroom behavioral challenges. Dr. Thompson has secured $3.86 million as Principal Investigator (PI) and contributed to $30.14 million as Co-PI across federally and state-funded grants.
Education:
- Ph.D. in Special Education, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2014)
- M.Ed. in Special Education, University of North Carolina (2011)
- B.A. in Special Education, University of North Carolina (2005)
Research Interests: Dr. Thompson’s work emphasizes culturally adapted interventions, telepractice in special education, and evidence-based strategies for inclusive classrooms. Her BLINC Lab prioritizes academic and behavioral support for neurodivergent learners, particularly those with profound autism or intellectual disabilities. Recent projects include developing story-based curricula for Spanish-speaking children with ASD and training paraprofessionals via Project TAPP.
Grants & Awards:
- Chancellor's Academy of Teacher Educators (CATE)
- $6.45M SPARC Consortium grant (2024–2029) for special education teacher training
- Early Career Research Excellence Award (2019)
- Over $30M in external funding as PI/Co-PI
Advising & Leadership: Dr. Thompson has mentored 15 doctoral students and chairs the Special Education Doctoral Program. She leads initiatives to recruit and retain educators in underserved communities through programs like Recruit-Prepare-Retain Squared.
Labs & Collaborations: BLINC Lab focuses on translational research to bridge gaps between academic findings and classroom practice. Collaborative projects include partnerships with the University of Tennessee and University of Nebraska to train special education faculty.
