Melissa Rees, a Department Chair for the Education and Child Development at Pitt Community College on NACCTEP Now

In this episode of Voices from the Field we meet Melissa Rees who led the charge to create coursework for educators on autism. The coursework she created and that is taught through a partnership with ACES for Autism provides current and future educators with the hours of instruction and experience to qualify for the National Behavioral Specialist exam to become an certified technician. The curriculum is also available as a 16-hour certificate for existing educators. Ms. Rees also discusses the book American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins about an immigrant family from Mexico and the struggles that they and their children experience. She recommends this book as a good source for educators, both in the P-12 and the higher education realms, to better understand their students.