Project CIELO- Funding for ECSE and SLP students to work with CLD families
Intro
I was an Early Childhood Special Education teacher and Early Interventionist for 11 years before returning to school to pursue my Doctoral Degree at the University of California Santa Barbara. I am also the parent of a son with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and feel that having a child with a disability made me a better teacher. I value the experience and expertise of parents and have worked diligently to foster collaboration between families and schools. I also have experience as a member of a Developmental Diagnostic team at Northwestern University as part of my work on Federally-Funded Autism research grants.
Teaching Interests
I am interested in teaching students about evidence-based interventions for young children with disabilities, supporting and collaborating with families, assessment and the importance of communication for students with disabilities.
Research
My primary research interests focus on supporting families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and related Developmental Disabilities in two ways; through Parent to Parent social support and through parent-mediated interventions for social communication. Additionally, it is imperative to bring evidence-based interventions to underserved communities.
Publications
*Black, B.J., Walch, T.J., Dodds, R.L., & Fitzgerald, J.S. (2025). Physical activity and depression in mothers of a child with a special health care need: Informing future interventions. Public Health Challenges, 40(4), 833–852.
Chang, Y. C., Hunt, N. & Dodds, R. L. (2023). Building better bridges: perceptions of transition from early intervention programs to preschool from culturally and linguistically diverse parents, early interventionists, and preschool special educators. Infants & Young Children, 36(2), 164-174.
Dodds, R. L. (2020). Meeting families where they are: Text-based support in Parent to Parent programs. Child: Care, Health & Development, 47(2), 290-296. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cch.12833
Dodds, R. L. (2020). Helping Optimize Language Acquisition (HOLA) Online Parent Training Modules for Latinx Parents of Toddlers at Risk for ASD: Protocol for a Pilot Funded by the Organization for Autism Research. JMIR Research Protocols, 9(12), e18004.
Dodds, R. L. & Walch, T. (2021). The glue that keeps everybody together: peer support in mothers of young children with special health care needs. Child: Care, Health & Development, 48(5), 772-780. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12986
Dodds, R. L. (2021). An exploratory review of the associations between adverse experiences and autism. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma 30(8), 1093-1112. https://www.doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2020.1783736
Dodds, R. L., Maurer, K.J., Spivey-Montgomery, L., Cutting, S., & Jilek, C. (2022). Self-advocate perspectives on COVID-19 in urban Los Angeles: Impacts on autonomy and access to supports. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. https://doi.org/10.3109/13668250.2022.2028379
Dodds, R. L. & *Maurer, K.J. (2022). Pandemic stress and coping in adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in urban Los Angeles: A qualitative interview study, Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities, DOI: 10.1080/19315864.2022.2076960
Dodds, R. L., & Singer, G.H. (2018). Parent‐to‐Parent support providers: How recruits are identified. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 31(3), 435-444.
Dodds, R. L., Yarbrough, D. V., & Quick, N. (2018). Lessons learned: Providing peer support to culturally diverse families of children with disabilities or special health care needs. Social Work, 63(3), 261–264. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swy019
Dodds, R. L. & *Aljallal, N. M. (2023). Comparing efficacy to implement inclusive practices in US and Saudi Arabian early childhood educators. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education, 15(4), 252-262,
Dodds, R. L., & Francis, G. L. (2026). ICE or Educators at the Door? Four Strategies to Support Undocumented and Mixed-Status Families with Young Children with Disabilities Access IDEA Part C. Inclusive Practices, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/27324745251404036
Dodds, R. L., Roy, S., Wu, H., Belden, A., Hafer, C., & Toapanta, C. (2025). Improving uptake in regional center services: Using program data to identify predictors of under-utilization and non-utilization: AJMR. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 130(4), 309-322.
Dodds, R. L., Singer, G.H., & Wang, M. (2024). Who is ready? Development of a peer supporter screening measure for parents of children with disabilities. Family Relations, 73(2), 92-934.
Dodds, R.L., *Wu, H., & *Toapanta, C. (revision under review). Turning Authorizations into Services: Parent Perspectives on Regional Center Utilization for School-Aged Children in California. [Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities]
*Fischbacher, L. & Dodds, R.L. (under review). Parent-mediated augmentative and alternative communication interventions in early childhood: A scoping review. [Early Child Development and Care]
*Fischbacher, L.; Dodds, R.L.; *Tien, I.S. (2024). Teaching parents via online asynchronous training to use speech-generating devices with their autistic children: A pilot study. Children, 11, 1194.
*Gonzalez, R. & Dodds, R.L. (in preparation). from barriers to belonging: A needs assessment of peer mentorship for neurodivergent students at an HSI commuter campus. [Diversity in Higher Education]
*Homerin, N., & Dodds, R. L. (2024). The transition from early intervention to preschool for children with multiple disabilities: A narrative review. Early Child Development and Care, 194(3), 350–365.
*Johnson, J., Dodds, R.L. & Wood, J. (2024). Experiences of autistic college students in higher education and their relations with faculty. J Autism Dev Disord 54, 2902–2916.
*Kim, H., & Dodds, R. L. (2024). Disclosing the child’s autism spectrum disorder: Perspectives of first-generation immigrant Korean mothers in the US. Disability & Society, 40(4), 833–852.
*Kim, H., Kim, S. A., Lee, H., & Dodds, R. L. (2023). Korean immigrant mothers and the journey to an autism diagnosis and services for their child in the United States. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 1-13.
*Martinez, M.C. & Dodds, R.L. (under review). Rock Solid for Inclusion: Parent Advocacy Attributes and the Pursuit of Inclusive Placement for Students with Multiple Support Needs. [Exceptionality]
Wang, M., Lam, Y. W., Kim, J., Singer, G. H., & Dodds, R. L. (2016). Behavioral parent training as evidence-based practices for families of children with developmental disabilities. In Supporting Families of Children with Developmental Disabilities: Evidence-based and Emerging Practices, 73.
*Indicates student researcher
Education
Postdoctoral Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities 2016-2018
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Ph.D. Special Education 2015
- University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
Teaching Credential ECSE 2004
- California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA
M.F.A. Writing, Literature and Publishing 1999
- Emerson College, Boston, MA
B.A. Creative Writing 1997
- Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY