Dr. Egel joined the University of Maryland at College Park in 1979. He was hired to develop an on-going research program in the area of autism while training teachers for children and youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other severe disabilities. Dr. Egel teaches courses in behavior management, autism, and research methodology. His current research interests focus on the development and evaluation of innovative instructional methodologies for use with children with ASD and other severe disabilities. These projects have been implemented with support through federally–funded grants from the research, model programs, early childhood and personnel preparation divisions of the U.S. Department of Special Education.
In addition to his research endeavors, Dr. Egel consults to several programs involved in the education of children with ASD and other severe disabilities both locally and across the country. He also reviews for many leading educational and psychological journals and has made significant contributions in the fields of autism and instructional methodology.