About

Angel Fettig is a Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Washington College of Education. She holds a Ph.D. and M.Ed. in Special Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on supporting the social-emotional development of young children with disabilities, with particular attention to factors that influence implementation and intervention fidelity for education professionals and caregivers in applying evidence-based practices. She also investigates intervention frameworks that promote culturally responsive, family-centered practices in early intervention and early childhood education settings to maximize children's learning opportunities in natural environments. Fettig employs mixed methods research approaches to explore her areas of interest, which include early childhood special education, early intervention, social-emotional development, challenging behaviors, autism spectrum disorders, developmental disabilities, and family-centered practices. Her work aims to enhance collaboration among families, educators, and professionals to foster advocacy and improve outcomes for children with disabilities.

Research topics

• Psychology
• Medicine
• Medical education
• Developmental psychology
• Clinical psychology
• Computer Science
• Applied psychology
• Pedagogy
• Psychotherapist
• Human–computer interaction
• Mathematics education

Selected publications

• Identifying Implementation Usability Issues of an Evidence-Based Behavioral Intervention for Use in Schools

  Implementation Research and Practice · 2026-05-01

  articleOpen access

  Background: Educators endorse challenging behavior as a concern for autistic students, which is compounded by the lack of adequate resources for behavioral intervention use at school. The RUBI program is an evidence-based intervention, initially developed for clinicians to implement with parents of autistic children ages 3-14 with co-occurring challenging behavior in outpatient settings. Using the Discover, Design/Build, Test framework, which combines human-centered design and implementation science, implementation usability issues of RUBI were identified for redesign to ensure intervention-setting fit when used in schools. Method: RUBI content was collaboratively and iteratively redesigned with elementary school partners, including 41 staff members from 28 schools. During the Discover Phase, the research team conducted in-class behavioral observations (N = 8) and cognitive walkthroughs (N = 15) with educators to identify implementation usability issues in the original RUBI intervention. In the Design/Build Phase, collaborative redesign sessions (N = 6) and demonstration studies (N = 12) were conducted to develop potential solutions to these issues. Implementation usability issues were systematically rated for importance and feasibility prior to redesign to guide the adaptation process. Results: Conventional content analysis was used to code qualitative data and identify implementation usability issues. Two implementation usability issues were identified: (1) integration with other school-based systems of support and (2) data collection in schools. Conclusion: Identifying and addressing usability issues may promote greater utility and successful implementation of RUBI in schools. Using partner-engaged methods allowed for the identification of critical implementation usability issues prior to the implementation of the redesigned intervention, RUBI in Educational Settings, or RUBIES. Implications to implementation in school settings are discussed, including potential ways to integrate RUBIES within existing school frameworks (i.e., MTSS) and streamline data collection with the use of technology.

  PublisherDOI

• Questions, Comments, and Suggestions: Breaking Down Reflective EI Caregiver Coaching Conversations

  Journal of Early Intervention · 2026-03-20

  articleSenior author

  Reflection and feedback are commonly considered to be essential components in early intervention (EI) caregiver coaching frameworks. However, there is limited research demonstrating how EI practitioners (EIPs) and caregivers engage in reflective coaching conversations during sessions. The purpose of this study is to identify how these strategies support ongoing interactions between the caregiver, child, and EIP, and work to build caregivers’ competence and confidence. This study uses a qualitative approach to investigate reflective coaching conversations among four matched triads during their EI sessions and explores both EIP coaching strategies and caregivers’ responses. Findings suggest that EIPs use a variety of strategies to promote caregiver reflection and deliver supportive reflective feedback during EI sessions. Correspondingly, caregivers provided varied responses matching EIP strategies. Implications highlight the need for EIP training in various reflection and feedback caregiver coaching strategies for working with caregivers.

  PublisherDOI

• Welcomed or Walled-Off: Educators’ Invitations for Advocacy in Early Childhood Special Education

  Early Childhood Education Journal · 2026-04-06

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Inclusion of Young Multilingual Learners with or at Risk for Disabilities in Dual-Language Education: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review

  Early Education and Development · 2025-12-25 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Exploring Family Quality of Life in Parent-Implemented Interventions for Young Children with Disabilities

  Topics in Early Childhood Special Education · 2025-10-23

  article

  We analyzed the family quality of life (FQOL) in parent-implemented interventions (PIIs) for young children with disabilities in this systematic review. We identified forty studies that met the inclusion criteria. We analyzed these studies based on participant demographics, intervention characteristics, FQOL measures, family outcomes, and study rigor. Additionally, intervention characteristics and family outcomes were linked to the FQOL framework to identify intervention components addressing FQOL and to examine the impact of PIIs across FQOL domains. The results indicated positive trends, suggesting that PIIs have the potential to enhance emotional well-being, family interaction, and parenting domains, while physical well-being and disability-related support remain underexplored across the eligible studies. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating FQOL measures to identify family strengths, guide tailored family support, and address barriers in the context of PIIs. The analysis of FQOL components and family outcomes provides insights to guide future research on supporting FQOL within PIIs.

  PublisherDOI

• Collaboration to Foster Family Advocacy in Early Childhood Special Education

  Young Exceptional Children · 2025-09-10

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Family-Implemented Shared Book Reading with Children With Disabilities: A Systematic Literature Review

  Topics in Early Childhood Special Education · 2025-10-30 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author

  We conducted this systematic review of the literature to examine the participant characteristics, components, outcomes, effectiveness, and quality of recent research on family-implemented shared book reading (SBR) with young children with disabilities (CWD). Twenty-two studies met our inclusion criteria. Interventions focused on training parents to use reading strategies such as asking open-ended questions and providing expectant pauses to encourage children’s language skills. Overall, the included studies were effective in increasing family members’ implementation of specific SBR strategies and children’s language skills; other outcomes such as turn taking and engagement were targeted in only a few studies. In all but one study, family-implemented SBR studies were conducted in the dominant language regardless of children’s home language. We discuss the implications of the study findings for future research and for supporting families to utilize SBR with their young CWD.

  PublisherDOI

• A Pilot Feasibility Randomized Trial of the RUBI in Educational Settings Intervention With Paraeducators Supporting Autistic Students in Public Elementary Schools

  Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · 2025-10-15 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Enhancing Meaningful Parent Engagement: Exploring Roles and Perceptions of Parent Representatives on State Interagency Coordinating Councils

  Journal of Early Intervention · 2025-01-29

  article

  State Interagency Coordinating Councils (SICCs) play vital roles in decision-making for Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). While parent representatives are required to serve on SICCs, it is unclear how parents participate in the SICC. It is important to understand parent experiences on the SICC given the family-centered nature of early intervention. This study utilized qualitative inquiry to detail the motivations, goals, and expectations of 15 parent participants who served on their state’s SICC and examine the link between their initial expectations and their actual roles. Barriers and facilitators to parent engagement are also presented. Findings reveal diverse motivations and expectations. Most parent representatives reported feeling valued, but some perceived their contributions as obligatory. Active solicitation of parent perspectives and leveraging their unique skills enhanced their sense of impact. The study highlights the importance of actively eliciting and valuing parent perspectives within SICCs and intentionally engaging diverse members of each state to strengthen their impact on early intervention policy and promote positive systems change within the Part C system.

  PublisherDOI

• Nutrition in cancer patients: analysis of the forum of women´s self-help association against cancer

  BMC Nutrition · 2025-02-13 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  BACKGROUND: Online forums play a crucial role for cancer patients seeking nutrition-related information and support. This study investigated the most common nutrition-related questions and concerns among members of the Women's Self-Help Association Against Cancer, focusing on emotional, physical, and practical aspects of dietary changes in cancer patients. METHODS: A mixed-methods approach was used, combining qualitative and quantitative content analysis of 5314 forum responses. The themes identified included common questions, patient contributions, physician involvement, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the discussions. RESULTS: In total, 2246 posts across 22 threads were analyzed, spanning 3867 days and receiving 654,100 visits. Key topics included 41 themes and 356 questions, with common inquiries like "Has your diet changed since your diagnosis?" (45 responses) and "Is sugar allowed in your diet?" (29 responses). There were 4958 contributions, with 558 evidence-based responses (e.g., recommending balanced diets) and 200 non-evidence-based responses (e.g., fasting, cancer-specific diets). Concerns regarding sugar (188 responses), dairy (121 responses), and emotional stress (187 responses) were common. Despite evidence-based recommendations from healthcare professionals supporting balanced diets, members frequently encounter non-evidence-based advice on fasting- and cancer-specific diets, leading to significant emotional and nutritional challenges. Additionally, Members emphasized the need to balance the enjoyment of food with dietary restrictions. CONCLUSION: The forum is a valuable resource for sharing experiences and advice; however, non-evidence-based content underscores the need for moderation and expert input. Collaboration between medical professionals and moderators can improve content reliability, enabling informed dietary decisions for cancer patients.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Shawna G. Harbin

  Purdue University System

  16 shared

• Erin E. Barton

  11 shared

• Courtney Zulauf

  Seattle University

  9 shared

• Gounah Choi

  Harbin University

  9 shared

• Kathleen Artman-Meeker

  University of Washington

  9 shared

• Michaelene M. Ostrosky

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  8 shared

• Abbey Eisenhower

  University of Massachusetts Boston

  7 shared

• Alice S. Carter

  University of Massachusetts Boston

  7 shared

Labs

• Angel Fettig LabPI

Education

• PhD, Special Education

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign