Dr. Smita Mehta

Welcome to my website! I am an Associate Professor in Special Education. I received my doctorate from the University of Oregon. My specialty is in the areas of severe behavior problems, severe disabilities, and inclusive education. My research interests include functional behavioral assessment and positive behavior support for individuals with developmental disabilities, analyzing the effect of teacher behavior on student performance, classroom management and instructional strategies, and inclusive education and support. My research has been published in various special education professional journals including Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, Journal of Behavioral Education, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Preventing School Failure, Journal of Early and Intensive Behavior Intervention, The Behavior Analyst Today, and Behavioral Development Bulletin. I am a member of several professional organizations.  You too can access the websites of these organizations through the links:

• Association for Positive Behavior Support (APBS) (http://www.apbs.org/main.htm)
• The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) (http://www.cec.sped.org/am/template.cfm?section=Home)
• American Association on Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) (http://www.aamr.org/)
• Council for Children with Behavior Disorders (CCBD) (http://www.ccbd.net/)
• Texas Council for Exceptional Children (TCEC) (http://www.tcecweb.org/)
•  Association for Behavior Analysis (ABA) (http://www.abainternational.org/)

Credentials:

Ph.D., University of Oregon (Special Education - Developmental Disabilities)

UNT Position:

Associate Professor in Special education, Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education, University of North Texas http://www.coe.unt.edu/epsy/edsp/

Teaching Areas:

• Research and Writing in Special Education (EDSP 6800-A)
• Research Issues in Special Education (EDSP 6440)
• Classroom and Behavior Management Stratégies for Exceptional Learners (EDSP 5330)
• Educational Aspects of Students with Mild to Moderate Disabilities (EDSP 5730)
• Collaboration and Consultation in School Settings (EDSP 5210)
• Learning Theories as Applied to Individuals with Exceptionalities (EDSP 5550)
• Advanced Educational Strategies for Exceptional Learners (EDSP 4330)
• Student Teaching Supervision (EDSP 4110)

Research Interests:

• Applied Behavior Analysis
• Functional Behavioral Assessment
• Positive Behavior Support      
• Behavioral Escalation and Prevention of Problem Behavior
• Classroom and Instructional Management
• Severe Disabilities and Autism
• Philosophy and Practice for Inclusive Education