Megan Best
PhD Student, Special Education
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Biography
Advisor: Meghan Burke
Megan received her bachelor's degree in special education from Michigan State University, as well as her master's degree in special education with a specialty focus in autism. She worked as a high school special education teacher for students with extensive support needs, both in private and public schools. Megan also worked as a special education administrator in Chicago Public Schools to provide instructional support to teachers, administrators, and district leaders. Megan has also worked as an adjunct professor at DePaul University and as a research assistant at the University of Illinois Chicago to adapt a mental health curriculum for transition-aged youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Megan’s research interests center the experiences of transition-age youth with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) in transition planning and self-advocacy. She is also interested in how transition services are selected and implemented as part of the transition plan, the implementation of Universal Design for Transition (UDT), and partnering with individuals with disabilities as drivers of transition-related research, practice, and policy.