Learn more about Wenjing Bao, a student in the Special Education Doctoral Program, through our Student Spotlight series

Meet Wenjing Bao, a doctoral student in our prestigious special education program. Wenjing’s research is focused on assessment and intervention for young children with special needs, and the importance of understanding the characteristics and needs of children and families to better support them through evidence-based practices.

She credits her professors with playing a crucial role in her growth through supportive advising, lab meetings, and feedback that has helped enhance her research. Bao is especially grateful for College of Education Professor Stephanie Shire, PhD’s role in supporting her growth to conduct research with greater independence and assisting her with grant opportunities and networking.

Following graduation, Wenjing hopes to continue to explore and adapt intervention materials to better serve diverse populations.

What is the focus of your research?

My research focuses on assessment and intervention for young children with special needs, cultural adaptation of interventions, and implementation science.

Why is this work important and what is its potential impact?

While evidence-based practices are proven to be effective in promoting positive outcomes, a range of factors, such as cultural relevance, feasibility, acceptance of the practices and quality of training, can affect their successful implementation. It is important to understand the characteristics and needs of the target populations and take both individual and organizational factors into consideration to optimize the impact of these practices. Through my research, I hope to adapt educational and intervention programs to make them appropriate for children and families from all backgrounds, thereby reducing disparities and improving equity in education.

How have faculty played a role in your research?

Multiple professors at the University of Oregon have played a crucial role in my research through courses, advising, lab meetings, and feedback on my projects. My academic advisor, Professor Stephanie Shire, PhD, is especially helpful in supporting my growth in conducting research with greater independence. She assists in connecting me with colleagues who share similar research interests, ensures I stay updated on all kinds of professional development, conference, and grant information relevant to my research areas, and provides opportunities for me to be involved in her studies. I feel particularly fortunate to participate in her Personalized, Responsive Intervention Sequences for Minimally Verbal Children with Autism project, funded by the National Institutes of Health, where I learned to individualize Discrete Trial Training intervention, Joint Attention Symbolic Play Engagement and Regulation, and Combined and Enhanced Treatment for children with autism. Within this project, I also got to administer a variety of assessments, coach new assessors and interventionists, better understand the Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial design, and delve into approaches to enhance research rigor.

What are your career aspirations?

I would like to continue my academic exploration to improve and evaluate outcomes of educational programs. I look forward to adapting intervention materials and interventions for diverse populations; investigating how immigrant families of children with autism perceive those intervention materials, including exploration of how cultural factors influence their ratings; and examining the effectiveness of culturally responsive caregiver-mediated intervention programs. I am also interested in adapting specialized interventions that are typically delivered 1:1 for use in preschool settings and with dual language learners.