ACEing On The Spectrum: Resources for Inclusive Higher Education

Dr. Anita McGaha is the Director of the Office of Disability Services at Tennessee State University and the Director of the new program, TigerEDGE, at Tennessee State University.  She is leading the development of the new TSU program, one of the first in the country at a Historically Black College/University. She received one of the first Tennessee Believes Grant from the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to create the program. In addition, she oversees the Office of Disability Services (ODS) student support team through a strategic plan alignment of the university’s vision and mission. Through her leadership of the Office of Disability Services, she promotes and maintains a continuous improvement model by auditing organizational processes, developing new methodologies and strategies to enhance performance and services to students. She also facilitates ongoing trainings, and presentations to faculty, deans, department chairs, and staff, to ensure accessibility.

Dr. Halle King is the Assistant Director of Student Support for IDEAL. Her role includes coordinating and overseeing support for students, collecting and monitoring program and student data for program evaluation and enhancement, working with students on individualized goals and action plans, and co-leading the cooking lab and social skills classes. Dr. King graduated from the University of Alabama in Huntsville with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and from Belmont University with a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy. During her time at Belmont, she completed a rotation with the Center for Community Partnerships in Fort Ollins, CO working with young adults with ID. She supported students in the Project SEARCH program, community-based employment, and the IHE program at Colorado State University.

Tammy Day has been the Director of Next Steps at Vanderbilt since 2009. She also chairs the Tennessee Alliance for Inclusive Higher Education. She has been involved in the development of inclusive higher education programs in Tennessee, regionally and nationally. Next Steps is now a four-year program. She was formerly a Transition Coordinator and high school special education teacher with Rutherford County Schools. She is also a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Education for Students with Disabilities representing inclusive higher education initiatives.

Questions? Email  outreach@autismtn.org

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