By Jane Sevier and Jenna Summers
Megan Burke joined the Vanderbilt Peabody School of Education and Human Development in August as a professor of special education. Her research interests include family advocacy, families of people with disabilities, and disability policy. She studies how families advocate for services for family members with disabilities and how siblings of people with disabilities transition into caregiver roles.
“I am excited to join the Department of Special Education. With an international reputation for its scholarship, commitment to the field and innovative ideas, the Department of Special Education is unique. It will be an honor to work alongside the faculty and students who are advancing the field,” Burke said.
Burke has developed and tested advocacy programs such as the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s Volunteer Advocacy Project, which aims to educate and empower parents of people with disabilities to access services not only for their own children, but also for other families and systems change. To date, the project has been replicated in seven states and is available in English, Korean and Spanish to families of people with disabilities.
Moreover, Burke’s research is widely cited and informs the work of experts. Burke and Robert Hodapp, professor of special education at Peabody College, collaborated on one of the most cited studies, which examined the relationship between stress and home-school relationships in mothers of children with developmental disabilities. The results found that mothers with lower stress levels had better parent-school relationships and lower levels of parental advocacy. This study strengthened understanding that good parent-school relationships are important to support the needs of children with disabilities and the mental health of their parents.
In a recent study, Burke and coauthors found that telehealth for early intervention services provided more benefits than drawbacks to families. Participants found telehealth safe, flexible, and eliminated wait times to access services. They also enhanced collaboration between family and professionals. That said, families suggested that telehealth services would be improved with support in accessing and using the technology, as well as receiving an initial in-person visit. This study has important implications for researchers and telehealth providers:
Prior to joining the Peabody faculty, Burke taught at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she was a professor in the Department of Special Education and the Department of Educational Policy, Organization, and Leadership. During her tenure, Burke secured funding for the Early Intervention Clearinghouse, loaning iPads and data plans to over 300 families so they could receive early intervention services via telehealth during the pandemic. As such, Burke’s research is not only academically significant, but also has the potential to impact individual lives.
Burke has lectured widely and published over 136 articles in scholarly journals including Autism, American Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and Journal of Special Education. She also serves as an associate editor for three journals: Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, Journal of Child and Family Studies, and Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Services. Burke serves on eight editorial boards, including Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, Journal of Disability Policy Studies, and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. She is co-author of Families and Professionals: Trusting Partnerships in General and Special Education. 8th Edition. (2021, Pearson) and Exceptional Lives: Practice, Progress, and Dignity in Today’s Schools (2023, Pearson).
Burke holds an MS and PhD in Special Education (Low Incidence Disorders) from Vanderbilt Peabody College and is a Certified Behavior Analyst (PhD).