Jeff Vanschaick and Nadia Stadnyk

Vanschaick’s and Stadnyk’s innovative teaching idea, "STEM for Disabled Students," is designed to implement technology-based curricula to educate students with physical and intellectual disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorders, visual impairments and other disabilities in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). The program will further support an instructional system using technology to facilitate improvements in communication, motor control, socialization and academics. Center teachers will be able to implement online and interactive educational software for authoring individualized, differentiated learning tasks in English language arts, math, science and social studies. Ultimately, the program will help students meet national core curriculum standards and performance standards identified in the New York State Education Department's Alternative Assessments (for students with disabilities and other special needs).