College of Education and Human Development

Christan Coogle, Associate Professor of Special Education, is Selected as Co-Editor of the prestigious journal Young Exceptional Children (YEC)

Christan Coogle

Christan Coogle, associate professor in the Special Education Program within the School of Education at George Mason University, has been selected as Co-Editor of Young Exceptional Children (YEC), a journal published by the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). The CEC is described as the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the success of children and youth with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. Within CEC, the DEC is an international professional organization working to advance racial equity and inclusive practices in support of young children with disabilities and the families and educators who care for them. YEC is the only peer reviewed practitioner journal that addresses children, birth through age 8, experiencing disabilities and developmental delays.

Commenting on being named Co-Editor of YEC, Coogle stated, “I am looking forward to the continued evolution of the journal to disseminate best practices while promoting the Division for Early Childhood’s Racial Equity Point of View. I also look forward to partnering with DEC leaders to engage in reciprocal listening, sharing, and learning as we work together to learn from and support all children and families experiencing delays and disabilities.”

Coogle’s appointment as Co-Editor of YEC, a widely respected journal read here in the United States and abroad, marks a significant achievement that provides George Mason with faculty representation in a community of international scholars working in the field of early intervention and early childhood special education. Coogle’s expertise in this discipline is well known at the state level because of her work as a member of the Virginia Early Intervention Consortium and her role as Principal Investigator of the Early Childhood Training and Technical Assistance (TTAC) Grant which is funded by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). The TTAC VDOE initiative supports the local community in addressing early childhood state initiatives, including the DEC Recommended Practices. In her new position as Co-Editor of YEC, Coogle will be able to share her expertise on evidence-based practices implemented at the state level with education professionals worldwide who engage with the CEC and DEC.

YEC provides information on proven strategies and interventions that practitioners can adopt across various settings including schools, homes, and the community. This journal offers resources for family members, early childhood educators, early intervention practitioners, administrators, and related service providers who support young children with delays and disabilities or who are at risk of developmental delays. The YEC journal states that one of its goals is to translate research findings into inclusive practices that are effective and useful for practitioners and families. Higher education faculty preparing educators to work in early intervention and early childhood special education often use this journal in their courses.

Coogle highlighted the value which YEC provides. “This journal,” she stated, “is focused on supporting individuals such as practitioners who work with children experiencing delays and disabilities. The articles within this journal often provide practice descriptions and typically include vignettes and resources to learn more.”

As Co-Editor, Coogle will be collaborating with Alissa Rausch (University of Denver) who has also been appointed Co-Editor of the journal. Together, they will be overseeing journal processes from initial submission and review of manuscripts through final publication. In addition, the DEC announced a new initiative under which Coogle and Rausch will be working in partnership with the YEC leadership team which is described as “an innovative collective design that uplifts the diversity of experiences of those whose lives and work are reflected in the YEC journal.” In this capacity, Coogle will be engaging with scholars across the YEC community in identifying the latest research that meets the eligibility criteria for publication in the journal and will be handling related duties.

Coogle shared her thoughts on how her new role as Co-Editor of YEC aligns with her research interests. She stated, “For over the past decade, my research has been focused on supporting educators’ implementation of research-based practices or the practices that we know have the highest probability of enhancing outcomes of young children, birth to age eight, experiencing delays and disabilities within early intervention and early childhood special education systems. My first publication was in YEC over 15 years ago and focused on research-based communication strategies to enhance the communication development of young children identified with autism spectrum disorder. I have continued to publish in YEC. I have also served on the editorial board as a reviewer and associate editor for the past several years. I look forward to the opportunity to serve as Co-Editor.”

Concluding her remarks, Coogle emphasized the importance of raising awareness of some of the most important research taking place on the needs of young children with disabilities or developmental delays. She commented, “It is critical that children have access to research-based practices as children with delays and disabilities cannot benefit from practices they do not receive. YEC carries out an essential function in promoting the dissemination of research-based practices to improve the outcomes of children and families experiencing delays and disabilities.”

Please join the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) community in congratulating Christan Coogle on being selected to serve as Co-Editor of the prestigious Young Exceptional Children (YEC) journal, an achievement that reflects her vast knowledge and expertise in the field of early childhood special education.