Paula J. Beckman Professor Department of Special Education 1308 Benjamin Building College Park, MD 20742 Voice: (301)405-6492 pbeckman@umd.edu Specialty Area: Early Childhood

Dr. Beckman is a specialist in the area of Infancy and Early Childhood Special Education. She is currently involved in working with children who are at risk for learning problems due to poverty and lack of educational opportunity. As part of this interest, she is currently working with children, teachers and schools in poor, developing countries, particularly in Central America. In this area, she has been providing training for teachers as well as working with administrators to improve the quality of education for children in poor communities.

Another major area of interest is in supporting families of young children with disabilities. Within this area, she has focused on strategies for promoting family well-being and for developing collaborative partnerships with professionals.

As part of her interest in families, she has also been interested in community development and on factors that promote the ability of children with disabilities and their families to participate in a wide range of activities within their neighborhoods and communities. She has particular expertise in establishing programs for young children and their families in community settings

As an internationally known expert in early childhood development, special education, and working with families, Dr. Beckman consults with early childhood programs throughout the United States. She serves on Maryland’s Interagency Coordinating Council which works directly with the Maryland State Department of Education to coordinate services for infants and toddlers through out the state. She has also been involved in international research and training projects in Europe. She has 20 years of experience conducting training as well as in developing, implementing and evaluating projects. She currently directs three teacher training projects and one community development project at the University of Maryland. In the past, she has served on the Executive Board of the Division for Early Childhood, Council for Exceptional Children and was the associate editor of the Journal of Early Intervention for six years.