Dorothy J. O'Shea

Dorothy J. (Doris) O’Shea, Ph.D., currently with the Chester County Intermediate Unit, Downingtown, Pennsylvania, taught Special Education courses at the tertiary level for more than 25 years, after receiving her doctorate in Special Education from the Pennsylvania State University in 1983. Additionally, she worked as a Special Education classroom teacher and school administrator for more than 11 years. During her 36-year career, Dr. O’Shea developed an independent line of research and scholarship related to literacy, instructional strategies, legal issues, and work with diverse families. In addition to securing extramural research funding in inclusion, instructional strategies, literacy, and personnel preparation, she is/was on the editorial board for major journals in the Special Education discipline (i.e., Multicultural Learning and Teaching, TEACHING Exceptional Children, Journal of Learning Disabilities, Teacher Education and Special Education, Behavioral Disorders, and Remedial and Special Education). Dr. O’Shea authored or co-authored over 80 books, book chapters, and/or articles in refereed Special Education journals. Since 1998, she worked as a Pennsylvania Special Education Due Process Hearing Officer and conducted more than 250 special education due process hearings on behalf of families and school districts.