Center for Literacy and Disability Studies

My work explores the intersections of disability, race, and education, focusing on the narratives and practices that shape educational experiences for students labeled with severe dis/abilities. Using post-critical ethnography and discourse analysis, my research and writing challenges deficit-based models and centers dialogic, relational, and justice-driven practices. As part of the Project VC team at the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies, I support school-based teams in designing and delivering comprehensive literacy instruction through the development of assessment tools, educator training, and implementation frameworks. Across my research, writing, and professional learning design, I am committed to shifting power and perception in schools through deep listening, critical inquiry, and pedagogies rooted in interdependence.

Karen Erickson, Ph.D. is the David E. and Dolores “Dee” Yoder Distinguished Professor of Literacy and Disability Studies in the Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Karen is also the Director of the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies and a Professor in the Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences. Karen is a former teacher of students with significant disabilities. Her current research addresses literacy and communication assessment and intervention for students with extensive support needs, as well as the supportiveness of augmentative and alternative communication in interaction. Recent projects have focused on creating open-source professional development and implementation supports such as those available in Project Core and Tar Heel Shared Reader.

Dr. Geist is a certified speech-language pathologist with an emphasis in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). She has worked in direct service, consultation, and product development, with her efforts concentrated on intervention approaches that target communication, language, and literacy outcomes for children and adults who cannot rely on speech alone to be heard and understood. Her research interests center on leveraging technology in the delivery of effective intervention. She is an investigator and director on multiple research projects, including Project Converse (PI), Building Bridges (co-PI), Project Open (co-PI) and Minimizing Text Complexity with AI (co-PI).

Dr. Greer is an Assistant Professor whose research focuses on interdisciplinary, applied approaches to literacy and communication for students with extensive support needs. Her work explores how collaborative, cross-disciplinary efforts can lead to deeper understandings of educational challenges and the development of sustainable, evidence-based solutions that translate into real-world practice.
Dr. Greer began her research career at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, where she worked on alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS), the measurement of achievement growth, and the alignment of special education instruction with state standards and assessments. This foundational experience continues to inform her current work, particularly in the development of instructional resources in both literacy and mathematics.
At the University of North Carolina, she has co-led several research initiatives aimed at improving communication, literacy, and mathematics outcomes for students with extensive support needs. Her current work as co-Principal Investigator includes the development of a technology platform and implementation model to support data-based decision-making among educators and related service providers. This project is designed to enhance student engagement and literacy development through accessible, research-driven strategies.
In addition, Dr. Greer contributes to projects that equip educators with a comprehensive suite of training and support resources for teaching reading, writing, language, and communication as integrated components of literacy instruction. Across all of her work, she is committed to creating tools and models that are not only grounded in rigorous research but also designed for long-term use in educational settings. Her overarching goal is to support teachers and schools in improving instructional practices and outcomes for students with extensive support needs through research that is both innovative and practical.

My work is primarily focused on research in the areas of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and literacy development for individuals with complex learning and communication challenges. This interest grew out of my experience as a public school speech-language pathologist and assistive technology provider, where I frequently observed dedicated teachers, hard-working students and concerned parents express the need for more research, resources, and support to improve communication, literacy, and academic outcomes for the students. My research is typically done as part of a team and has involved creating professional development resources for teachers, academic coaches and paraprofessionals, entry level communication systems for students, progress monitoring systems to support data-based instructional decisions, and additional supports for both teachers and students related to literacy instruction. The last 5 grants I have worked on have used an implementation science model, allowing the materials we have researched and developed to be used by increasing numbers of teacher and student study participants. Through observation and input of those participants, we are have been able to refine our materials to achieve a better final product.

In addition to research, I have the honor of working with Masters and doctoral students. I teach the AAC course for the UNC SLP Masters students each fall and serve on doctoral student planning, comprehensive exam, and dissertation committees. I truly enjoy the teaching and learning exchange with these bright, dedicated and passionate students.

My research is focused on improving language and literacy outcomes for children with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities (SIDD), including those who are also deaf and hard of hearing. I was first hired as the Project Director of a 5-year U.S. Department of Education grant, Tar Heel Shared Reader, which involved the development of a complete implementation model that supported 316 professionals in providing shared reading to 442 students with SIDD, most of whom required augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). In my role as project director, I led several sub-studies that examined: a) the quality of teacher interactions during shared reading; b) the impact of training on teacher use of shared reading strategies, and; c) the impact of shared reading with AAC modeling on the communication of students with SIDD who require AAC. In ongoing work on Project Converse, funded by the Engelke Family Foundation, I am leading several studies involving detailed microanalysis of videos documenting classroom interactions during literacy instruction with children with SIDD who require AAC. One such study in press applies conversation analysis to examine growth in expressive language and communication of children with SIDD-AAC over the course of a year as a result of shared reading with AAC modeling of core vocabulary. While successfully directing a large implementation project and leading the publication of several related manuscripts, I secured funding as the PI for a foundation grant and an internal award. These two awards enabled me to take the first steps to document the hearing health needs of students with SIDD and address the widespread under-identification of hearing loss in this population, including co-authoring the first publication on school-based hearing screenings with students with SIDD in the United States.