College of Education and Health Professions

Tom E.C. Smith, Ed.D.

Dean, University Professor of Special Education

324 Graduate Education Building
Phone: 479-575-3208
FAX: 479-575-3119
tecsmith@uark.edu

Degrees:

Ed.D.,   Texas Tech University, Special Education, 1977
M.Ed.,   University of Mississippi, Special Education, 1970
B.S.E.,  University of Mississippi, Science Education, 1969

Teaching Areas:

Inclusion of Students with Disabilities
Disability Law
Mental Retardation
Autism
Transition

Research Interests:

Inclusion of students with disabilities and legal issues related to disabilities.

Professional Biography:

Tom Smith was named dean of the College of Education and Health Professions, effective March 1, 2010. He was formerly head of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, retiring June 30, 2007, from that position and returning to the faculty as Professor of Special Education in the College of Education and Health Professions. Prior to coming to the University of Arkansas in 2002, Dr. Smith was Professor of Special Education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (1996 – 2002); Associate Dean, College of Education, University of Arkansas at Little Rock (1998 – 2000); Professor and Director of Research, University Affiliated Program, Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (1992 – 1996); Chairperson and Professor, Department of Special Education, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) (1988 – 1992).  Prior to going to UAB, Dr. Smith was on the faculty at the University of Arkansas from 1978 – 1988.  Dr. Smith earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the University of Mississippi, and a Doctor of Education degree from Texas Tech University. He served in the United States Army for four years, rising to the rank of Captain. 

Academic Interests and Accomplishments:

Dr. Smith has authored or co-authored 18 books; eight book chapters; and 35 journal articles. He has made more than 200 presentations at national, regional, and state professional meetings; and he has conducted workshops on Section 504 in over 40 states. He has also authored grants funded at more than $1 million. In 1992, President Clinton appointed him to the President’s Committee on Mental Retardation; he was re-appointed for two additional terms. Since 1994, Dr. Smith has served as the Executive Director of the Division on Developmental Disabilities of the Council for Exceptional Children, a national, professional organization with more than 6,000 members. 

Personal Information:

Tom is married to Debi, a clinical instructor of childhood education. He has three children, Jake, Alex, and Suni.

Publications/Presentations:

Books

Smith, T.E.C., Polloway, E.A., Patton, J.R., & Dowdy, C.A. (2001).  Teaching students with special needs in inclusive settings, (3rd ed.).  Boston:  Allyn & Bacon.  560 pages.

 

Smith, T.E.C., Polloway, E.A., Patton, J.R.,  Dowdy, C.A., & Heath, N.L.  (2001).  Teaching students with special needs in inclusive settings, (Canadian Edition).  Boston:  Allyn & Bacon, 480 pages.

 

Smith, T.E.C.  (2002).  The section 504 trainer’s manual.  Horsham, PA:  LRP Publications.  82 pages.

 

Polloway, E.A., Miller, L., & Smith, T.E.C., (2003).  Language instruction for students with disabilities (3^rd Ed.).  Denver, Love Publishing.  532 pages.

 

Smith, T.E.C., Polloway, E.A., Patton, J.R., & Dowdy, C.A. (2004).  Teaching students with special needs in inclusive settings, (4^th Ed.).  Boston:  Allyn & Bacon.  570 pages.

 

Smith, T.E.C., Polloway, E.A., Patton, J.R., & Dowdy, C.A. (2004).  Teaching students with special needs in inclusive settings, (Chinese Edition). Wu-Nan Book, Inc., 735 pages.

 

Smith, T.E.C., Polloway, E.A., Patton, J.R., & Dowdy, C.A. (2004).  Teaching students with special needs in inclusive settings,  (Spanish Edition).  Bosques, Canada:  Pro-Ed LatinoAmerica, 479 pages.

 

Smith, T.E.C., Gartin, B., Murdick, N., & Hilton, A., (2006.).  Families and children with special needs.  Columbus, OH:  Merrill/Prentice Hall, 268 pages.

 

Smith, T.E.C., Polloway, E.A., Patton, J.R., & Dowdy, C.A. (2006).  Teaching students with special needs in inclusive settings, (revised IDEA edition).  Boston:  Allyn & Bacon, 600 pages.

 

Smith, T.E.C. & Patton, J.R.  (2007).  Section 504 and Public Schools. (2^nd Edition).  Austin, TX:  Pro-Ed.  106 pages. 

 

Smith, T.E.C., Polloway, E.A., Patton, J.R., & Dowdy, C.A. (2008).  Teaching students with special needs in inclusive settings, (5th edition).  Boston:  Allyn & Bacon, 614 pages.

 

Smith, T.E.C., & Patton, J.R. (2008).  Section 504:  Software Manager.  Austin:  Pro-Ed Publishers.

 

Smith, T.E.C., Gartin, B., & Murdick, N.  (2012). Including adolescents with disabilities in general education classrooms.  Columbus, OH:  Pearson.  325 pages

 

Polloway, E.A., Miller, L., & Smith, T.E.C. (2012).  Language instruction for students with disabilities (4th Ed.).  Denver, Love Publishing. 514 pages.

 

Smith, T.E.C., Polloway, E.A., Patton, J.R., & Dowdy, C.A. (2012).  Teaching students with special needs in inclusive settings, (6th edition).  Columbus, OH:  Pearson, 582 pages.

 

Book Chapters

Patton, J.R., Polloway, E.A., & Smith, T.E.C. (2000).  Educating students with mild mental retardation.  In M. L. Wehmeyer & J.R. Patton (Eds.).  Mental retardation in the 21st century.  Austin, TX:  Pro-Ed.

 

Smith, T.E.C. (2005).  Section 504.  In S.W. Lee (Ed.).  Encyclopedia of school psychology.  Thousand Oaks, CA:  Sage Publications. 

 

Smith, T.E.C. (2006).  Legal issues.  In M.C. Holbrook (Ed.).  Children with visual impairments. (2^nd ed.).  Bethesda, MD:  Woodbine House.

 

Smith, T.E.C. (2008).  Developmental disabilities:  Definition, description, and directions. and parameters. (pp. 59-74)  In P. Parette and G.R. Peterson-Karlan (Eds.).  Best and Promising Practices in Developmental Disabilities.  2^nd Ed. Austin:  Pro-Ed Publishing.

 

White, M.L., Smith, J.D., Smith, T.E.C., & Stodden, R. (2012).  Historical, legislative, and current perspectives.  In D. Zager, M.L. Wehmeyer, & R.L. Simpson (Eds.). Evidence-Based Principles and Practices for Educating Students with Autism.  New York:  Routledge Publishers. (p. 3 – 13)

 

Wehmeyer, M., & Smith, T.E.C. (2012). Promoting self-determination and social interaction.  In D. Zager, M.L. Wehmeyer, & R.L. Simpson (Eds.). Evidence-Based Principles and Practices for Educating Students with Autism. New York:  Routledge Publishers. (p 247 – 261)

 

Journal Articles

Patton, J.R., Polloway, E.A., & Smith, T.E.C. (2000).  Educating students with mild mental retardation.  Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 15, 80-89.

 

Smith, T.E.C. (2001).  Section 504 and the ADA:  What schools need to know.  Remedial and Special Education, 21, 335-343.

 

Smith, T.E.C. (2002).  Section 504:  Basic Requirements for Schools.  Intervention in School and Clinic, 37, 2-6.

 

Smith, T.E.C. (2002).  The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA):  A time for some important changes.  Principal Leadership, 2, 6-9.

 

Smith, T.E.C. (2005).  Assessment and individuals with mental retardation.  Diagnostique, 30, 1-3.

 

Smith, T.E.C. (2005).  IDEA 2004:  Another round of re-authorization.  Remedial and Special Education, 26, 314 – 319.

 

Truelove, J., Holaway-Johnson, C., Leslie, K., & Smith, T. (2007).  Tips for including elementary students with disabilities in math classes.  Teaching Children Mathematics, 13(6), 336-340.

 

Penner-Williams, J., Smith, T.E.C., & Gartin, B.A.  (2009).  Assessment of written expression.  Assessment and Intervention in Education, 34, 162 – 169

 

Wehmeyer, M.L., Shogren, K.A., Zager, D., Smith, T.E.C., & Simpson, R. (2010).  Research-based principles and practices for educating students with autism:  Self-determination and social interactions.  Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 45, 475 – 486.

 

Presentations

Poverty and Educational Issues.  Presented at the Conference on Poverty and Disability, New York, New York, February, 2000.

 

Section 504 and Public Schools:  Best Practices.  Presented at the 78^th International Conference, Council for Exceptional Children, Vancouver, April, 2000.

 

Students with Learning Disabilities and Their Rights Under Section 504 and the ADA.  Presented at the 22^nd International Conference, Council on Learning Disabilities, Austin, Texas, October 2000.

 

IDEA and Section 504:  Common Sense Approaches for Schools.  Invited luncheon presentation, National Conference, National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).  Phoenix, April, 2001.

 

Determining Eligibility for Students with Learning Disabilities for Section 504 Protections.  Presented at the Northwest Regional CLD Conference, Seattle, April 2001.

 

Making Accommodations for Students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD Under Section 504.  Presented at the 23^rd International Conference, Council on Learning Disabilities, Charlotte, North Carolina, October 2001.

 

Legislative Update for Students with Learning Disabilities.  Presented at the Regional CLD Conference, Charlottesville, Virginia, March, 2002.

 

Avoiding Section 504 Booby Traps.  Presented at the 23^rd  LRP National Institute on Legal Issues of Educating Individuals with Disabilities, Tampa, Florida, May, 2002.

 

Writing Accommodation Plans for Students with Learning Disabilities.  Presented at the 24^th International Conference, Council on Learning Disabilities, Denver, October, 2002.

 

What are the New Disabilities in Special Education.  Presented at the 24^th   LRP National Institute on Legal Issues of Educating Individuals with Disabilities, San Francisco, May, 2003.

 

What Principals Need to Know about Students with Disabilities.  Presented at the 8^th International DDD Conference, Las Vegas, October, 2004.

 

Section 504 and Learning Disabilities:  Continuing Questions.  Accepted for presentation at the 27^th International Conference, Council on Learning Disabilities, Ft. Lauderdale, October 2005.

 

Future Directions for Special Education.  Keynote presentation.  Florida CEC Conference.  Ft. Lauderdale, FL., October 2007.

 

Including Students with Developmental Disabilities in Elementary Schools.  51^st Annual Provincial Conference, Ontario CEC.  Niagara Falls, Ontario.  November, 2007.

 

Teaching Social Skills and Self-Determination Skills to Individuals with Developmental Disabilities.  Presented at the 84th International Conference, Council for Exceptional Children, Salt Lake City, April, 2009.

 

Linking Social Skills and Self-Determination Skills Instruction.  Presented at the 12^th international conference, Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities.  Maui, Hawaii, January, 2010.

 

Section 504 and the ADA:  Implications for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders.  Presented at the 13^th international conference, Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Miami, January 2012.

Grants:

Office of Education, BEH Dean's Mainstreaming Grant, 1976.  Funded for $39,000.  (PI)

 

Planning Grant for Developing a Program for Hearing Impaired Children (Title IV), 1977.  Funded for $21,000.  (PI)

 

Program Assistance Grant:  A Training Program for Teachers of the Severely Handicapped and Visually Impaired.  Office of Education, BEH Personnel Preparation Grant, 1977 - 1980.  Funded for $140,000.  (PI)

 

Determining the Social Behavior of Mentally Retarded Persons.  Faculty Research Grant, 1979.  Funded for $4,100.  (PI)

 

A Follow-Up Study of Students from Two Secondary Learning Disabilities Programs.  Faculty Research Grant, 1980.  Funded for $1,100.  (PI)

 

Program Assistance Grant:  A Training Program for Teachers of the Severely Handicapped.  U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education, 1981 - 1984.  Funded for $130,000.  (PI)

 

Dean's Mainstreaming Grant.  U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education, 1982 - 1985.  Funded for $102,000.  (PI)

 

Preparation of Related Services Personnel:  A Training Program for Educational Examiners.  U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education, 1983 - 1986.  Funded for $120,000.  (PI)

 

Secondary Transition and Supported Employment Program.  Contract with Alabama Rehabilitation Services, 1988 - 1989.  Funded for $94,000.  (PI)

 

Secondary Transition and Supported Employment Program.  Contract with Alabama Rehabilitation Services, 1989 - 1990.  Funded for $103,000.  (PI)

 

Project Cooperation:  A Program to Provide Training to School Personnel in the Area of Transition.  U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, 1990 - 1991.  Funded for $44,000.  (Co-PI)

 

Developing a Post-Secondary Training Program for Students with Learning Disabilities.  Private Contributions, 1991 - 1992.  Funded for $100,000.  (PI)

 

Vision 2000:  Developing a Community-Based Service Program for Arkansas.  Arkansas Governor's Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, 1992 - 1993.  Funded for $385,000.  (PI)

 

Training Paraprofessionals in the Field of Developmental Disabilities.  Arkansas Developmental Disabilities Services, 1993 - 1994.  Funded for $49,500. (PI)

 

Training Mental Health Workers in Arkansas.  Arkansas Division of Mental Health Services, 1993 - 1994.  Funded for $12,000. (PI)

 

Coordinating Teacher Training in the Area of Severe Disabilities.  University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 1993 - 1994.  Funded for $24,500.  (PI)

 

A Statewide Study to Determine the Efficacy of Preschool Programs for Students with Disabilities:  A Feasibility Study.  Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services, 1994 - 1995.  Funded for $49,000. (Coordinator)

 

Training Teachers for Students with Severe Disabilities.  Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services, 1994 - 1999.  Funded for $97,000 per year.  (PI)

 

Using Distance Education for Professional Development in the Areas of Math and Science.  2003 – 2005.  Funded for $24,500.  (PI)