Carlie Rhoads, Blindness/Visual Impairment - Vanderbilt University

Carlie Rhoads currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee where she is a doctoral student in the visual disabilities program at Vanderbilt University.  Her current research interests include comprehensive disabilities, communication, coaching of paraprofessionals, and dual-media learners.

She holds certifications as a teacher of students with visual impairments, special educator grades kindergarten through 12th, and holds highly qualified status in language arts and reading.  Carlie has earned an endorsement as a teacher of students with visual impairments from Vanderbilt University, a master's degree with a focus on comprehensive disabilities from Vanderbilt University, and a bachelor's degree in English literature and education from Belmont University. 

Carlie has worked as a comprehensive development classroom teachers for two years, where she taught children with comprehensive disabilities in grades kindergarten through fourth grade.  She is also the former president and founder of Belmont University's Best Buddy program chapter, and has provided in-home care support for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and severe intellectual disabilities for four years.  Carlie additionally lived overseas for numerous years and has a basic understanding of Arabic, Danish, French, and Spanish.  In her free time, Carlie enjoys volunteering at the Tennessee School for the Blind, reading, and drawing.  She now considers herself a Nashvillian after years of residing in Nashville and has become a loyal fan of the Nashville Predators.

Carlie currently works with Dr. Deborah Hatton of Vanderbilt University and they have recently concluded a single subject case study on a dual media learner, using pre-teaching keywords as an intervention strategy.  They have plans for future research involving communication, constant time delay, and coaching paraprofessionals.