My name is Lema Kabashi and I originally am from Kosovo. Currently, I live and work at La Crosse, WI. It is a privilege to work at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse as an Associate Professor in Special Education. Teaching bestows upon me an opportunity to share my enthusiasm for children with exceptionalities and the Special Education field. It is my passion to inspire teacher candidates to support children who need teachers the most, children with exceptionalities.

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Although this is my eleventh year at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, I have over twenty years of teaching and advising experience and over ten years of research experience in the field of special education, particularly with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The focus of my research is finding effective strategies that promote social skills and increase appropriate behaviors and decrease inappropriate behaviors in young children with ASD. Recently, I have also been interested in researching strategies that help students with mathematical difficulties and practice-based coaching. In addition, over the past year I have been on sabbatical in Kosovo, doing research in the area of early identification and early intervention. This Field-Test investigated psychometric properties, including validity, utility, and reliability of the Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System (AEPS) for Infants and Children – Third Edition in Kosovo. 

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Beyond this, I have a vast experience with the Kosovo public education institutions since I worked as a Pedagogue of a Vocational Technical High School in Peja, as an expert for teacher training at the Ministry of Education in Peja office, and a new assistant professor at the Faculty of Education at the University of Prishtina. All these experiences have allowed me to encompass vast knowledge and skills from education, administration, and drafting curricula to teacher trainings and all the way down to working with students with exceptionalities.

 

While at the UW-L, I have published seven articles in peer-reviewed journals, presented in over twenty international, national, regional and local conferences, and was awarded over $30.000 in grants to conduct research with children with autism and integrate evidence-based practices in my teaching. I served on over twenty committees at the program, department, and university levels. I have taken on different roles and responsibilities within these committees, such as chairing six, co-chairing two, serving as a member on thirteen committees, as well as serving as a program coordinator for the special education program.