About

Dr. Jamie Pearson is an Associate Professor of Special Education and Educational Equity in the Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences at NC State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she developed FACES (Fostering Advocacy, Communication, Empowerment, and Support), an advocacy intervention for Black families raising autistic children. Her research focuses on disparities in autism identification, service access, and service utilization, as well as the impact of parent-advocacy and empowerment training on child and family outcomes. Additionally, she works on strategies to promote positive partnerships between educators and marginalized communities. Dr. Pearson has served as principal investigator or co-principal investigator on more than $23 million in grants and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals within the fields of inclusive and special education, emphasizing racial and ethnic disparities.

Research topics

• Sociology
• Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Gender studies
• Developmental psychology
• Geography
• Combinatorics
• Geometry
• Clinical psychology
• Quantum mechanics
• Theoretical physics
• Social psychology
• Mathematics
• Pure mathematics
• Physics

Selected publications

• Beyond Courtesy Calls: Cultivating Teacher–Family Partnerships to Support Autistic Students

  Education and training in autism and developmental disabilities · 2026-03-01

  articleSenior author

  Family involvement is fundamental to the educational success of autistic students, yet many caregivers report feeling disconnected from the educational process. This disconnect is particularly pronounced for families from historically marginalized backgrounds. This Translation of Research to Practice article synthesizes current literature and practical experience to provide a framework for cultivating meaningful, reciprocal partnerships between teachers and caregivers of students with autism. We introduce the three Cs framework—Consider, Communicate, and Connect—to guide educators in moving beyond compliance toward authentic engagement. This framework outlines how teachers can honor autistic students’ family structures and experiences; address caregivers’ cultural and linguistic needs; and support families throughout key transitions. Implementation strategies emphasize proactive inquiry into family expertise and values, consistent and individualized communication, and scaffolded advocacy support. Consideration, communication, and connection strengthen family–professional partnerships, leading to enhanced teacher understanding of autism-specific student needs, caregiver empowerment, and coordinated support throughout students’ educational journeys. We provide a reflective checklist to guide teachers in implementing the framework.

  PublisherDOI

• Exploring the Integration of Occupation in Autism Psychoeducational Interventions for Black and Latino Families: A Systematic Content Analysis

  Intellectual and developmental disabilities · 2026-04-20

  articleCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Developing Culturally Responsive Surveys on Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: Lessons from the Kenyan Context

  Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders · 2025-11-24 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Objectives Autism research in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Kenya, remains limited despite its growing global prevalence. This instrument development pilot study paper describes a process for developing culturally grounded survey instruments to assess the knowledge and beliefs of caregivers and educators of children with autism in western Kenya. Methods Our approach blended evidence-centered design, a psychometric framework for designing measurement tools that are valid for their intended use, with community-based participatory research, which emphasizes equitable stakeholder involvement. Results In this study, we detail the measure we created and, more importantly, the process used to blend evidence-centered design and community-based participatory research. We demonstrate how merging these two traditions can enhance the cultural and contextual validity of evidence around survey instruments in low- and middle-income countries. Conclusions Our work offers a replicable model for researchers aiming to develop participatory, culturally responsive tools for deployment in underrepresented contexts, and contributes to efforts to improve autism knowledge and support in Kenya and LMICs.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Partnering with Families of Students with Intellectual Disability and Extensive Support Needs

  Springer international handbooks of education · 2025-01-01

  book-chapter
  PublisherDOI

• Partnering with Families of Students with Intellectual Disability and Extensive Support Needs

  Springer international handbooks of education · 2025-01-01

  book-chapter
  PublisherDOI

• Best FACES Forward: Outcomes of an Advocacy Intervention for Black Parents Raising Autistic Youth

  UNC Libraries · 2025-05-07

  articleOpen access

  Despite increased diagnostic prevalence, Black parents raising autistic youth still experience additional and unique barriers to accessing and using autism-related services compared to their non-Black peers. Increasing parent advocacy capacity may be one way to reduce these disparities. This efficacy study examined the effects of the FACES advocacy program on advocacy capacity for Black parents raising autistic youth. Authors used a quasi-experimental research design that compared pretest and posttest measures for 16 Black parents raising autistic youth. Intervention participants demonstrated increases in family empowerment, school communication, and perceptions of advocacy ability. Findings offer emergent evidence of advocacy programs for Black families raising autistic youth.

  PublisherDOI

• “We Should All Be Welcome:” A Discourse Analysis of Religious Coping for Black Parents Raising Autistic Children

  UNC Libraries · 2025-04-04

  articleOpen access

  Disability for Black families raising autistic children is often inseparable from religious identity and experience. Black parents raising autistic children may rely on their religion to create meaning and seek guidance, but they may also experience unmet support needs from their religious congregations. In this study we analyzed group session transcripts and written responses using Foucauldian Critical Discourse Analysis to highlight the voices of seven Black parents raising autistic children in the context of a parent advocacy program. We aimed to understand the micro-, meso-, and macro-level processes that maintain stigma and barriers to communal coping. Implications for religious leaders and future research are noted.

  PublisherDOI

• Unpacking the prevalence: A warning against overstating the recently narrowed gap for Black autistic youth

  UNC Libraries · 2025-04-05

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Recent findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network's 2020 prevalence report indicate that disparities in autism diagnoses between Black and White youth have narrowed, reflecting improved screening, awareness, and access to services (Maenner et al., 2023. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Surveillance Summaries (Washington, D.C.: 2002), 72, 1-14.). Claims of reducing disparities beyond prevalence rates, however, are not fully supported, as indicated by the reality that Black youth whose screenings indicate autistic traits are still not being referred for full evaluation or early intervention services at the same rate as their White peers (Major et al., 2020. Autism, 24, 1629-1638; Smith et al., 2020. Pediatrics, 145, S35-S46.). Black 8-year-olds identified as autistic still experience disparate educational placements (Waitoller et al., 2010. The Journal of Special Education. 44, 29-49.) where services may not be autism-specific or have Individual Education Plan goals only focused on "behavior problems" (Severini et al., 2018. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48, 3261-3272.), are served in the most restrictive environments (Skiba et al., 2006. Exceptional Children, 72, 411-424.) and lack consistent augmentative and alternative communication support (Pope et al., 2022. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 31, 2159-2174.). Additionally, ADMM researchers report consistent disparities in the identification of co-occurring intellectual disability where Black autistic children have significantly more co-occurrences than White autistic children. The purpose of this commentary is to first examine the assertion that the narrowed gap indicates, "…improved…access to services among historically underserved groups," (p. 9) (Maenner et al., 2023. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Surveillance Summaries (Washington, D.C.: 2002), 72, 1-14.). We will then recommend strategies to address the ongoing disparities.

  PublisherDOI

• The Scholarly Neglect of Black Autistic Adults in Autism Research

  UNC Libraries · 2025-04-30

  articleOpen access

  Black autistic individuals, regardless of age, have not been centered in autism research. Instead, they often exist on the margins-on the periphery of autism research. In fact, Black autistic adults are largely absent from the literature. Most participants in autism research are majority-white autistic individuals and families. In this conceptual article, we use intersectionality and Dis/ability Studies and Critical Race Theory theories to contextualize Black autistic adults' experiences. Second, we argue that systemic disparities and methodological concerns are two contributors to the scholarly neglect of Black autistic adults in autism research. Third, we provide guidelines to support researchers in moving from neglect to inclusive research <em>with</em> Black autistic adults.

  PublisherDOI

• Examining Autistic Students' Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Career Interest and Motivation in a Geospatial Information Science &amp; Technology Program

  Education and training in autism and developmental disabilities · 2025-11-27

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Autistic students experience low employment and are underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) majors and careers, despite demonstrated interest in such fields. There is a dearth of research about the impact of STEM educational initiatives on motivation and career interest for autistic students. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of a Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST) career preparation program on STEM motivation for autistic high schoolers. An exploratory pre-/post-survey design was used. Findings indicated more negative attitudes toward science and engineering and technology and more positive attitudes toward math and twenty-first century skills; none of the findings were significant. Implications for program development and inclusive STEM education are discussed.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Jared H. Stewart-Ginsburg

  Pearson (United States)

  12 shared

• DeVoshia L. Mason Martin

  North Carolina State University

  11 shared

• Hedda Meadan

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  9 shared

• Kayla M. Malone

  9 shared

• Lonnie D. Manns

  North Carolina State University

  7 shared

• Martin J. Pickering

  University of Edinburgh

  6 shared

• Maya Israel

  University of Florida

  5 shared

• Tanya Tapia

  5 shared

Awards & honors

• Spring 2023 Research Improving the Educational Access, Exper…
• Spring 2025 Council for Exceptional Children Division on Aut…