Michaelene M. Ostrosky’s educational background and research focus on early childhood special education with a particular interest in inclusion, social emotional competence , peer relationships, and challenging behavior. She is Head of the department of Special Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and Grace Wicall Gauthier Professor of Education. Through her work Dr. Ostrosky strives to promote caring, inclusive communities where all children are accepted, and differences are celebrated. As a former teacher of young children who were deaf and blind, Professor Ostrosky is committed to making research accessible to practitioners and family members through her writing and presentations, and she has been recognized for her accomplishments. She is co-author of a book on implementing the Project Approach in inclusive early childhood classrooms with Drs. Sallee Beneke and Lilian Katz.