Biography
Laura N. Sarchet is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Niagara University in Lewiston, NY. She is an autistic self-advocate and uses her experiences as a neurodivergent person to raise awareness about autism and disability through her research and practice. She works to make education more accessible by studying disability, neurodiversity, and teaching. In her free time, Dr. Sarchet enjoys gardening, baking, reading, playing the double bass, knitting, and crochet!
Focus of Teaching
- Autism: Theory and Practice
- Consultation and Collaboration in Special Education
- Seminar in Special Education
- Curriculum & Instruction in Inclusive Early Childhood Classrooms
- Early Childhood Development
- Health, Nutrition, and Safety in Early Childhood
- Creative Activities and Movement in Inclusive Early Childhood
Current Research
Dr. Sarchet’s research interests include teacher education and teacher preparation programs, Universal Design for Learning, critical disability studies, self-advocacy, developmental disabilities and autism, crip methods, special education, and neurodiversity of teachers.
Selected recent publications:
Sarchet, L. N., Love, K., Carson, C., & Rashid, M. M. (2025). Incorporating universal design for learning in Hybrid-HyFlex college courses to enhance student belonging, engagement, equity, and learning outcomes. College Teaching. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2025.2549331
Sarchet, L. N., Love, K., & Mock, M. (2025). Tips for inclusive postsecondary education programs on college campuses: Peer mentors’ perspectives on access and inclusion. Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning, 17(2), 27-46. https://doi.org/10.14305/jn.19440413.2024.17.2.02
Sarchet, L. N. (2024). Experiences of disabled and neurodivergent faculty in higher education: A systematic literature review. Journal of Disability Studies in Education, 4(2), 156-177. https://doi.org/10.1163/25888803-bja10032
Educational Background
Ph.D., Teaching and Curriculum
University of Rochester, Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development
M.S.Ed., Inclusive Adolescent Education (Teaching Students with Disabilities 7-12)
Nazareth College
B.S., Early Childhood Education and Teaching Students with Disabilities (Birth-2)
Roberts Wesleyan College