Biography

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Growing up as a struggling student with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and a learning disability, Gary E. Schaffer has dedicated his professional practices and life to helping all learners succeed. Gary received a bachelor’s degree in special education and English and subsequently went on to become a school psychologist and clinical mental health counselor. As a school psychologist, Gary practiced across school, hospital, and state agency settings where he primarily worked with diverse learners and individuals with developmental disabilities for over ten years. Additionally, Gary was employed full-time at Niagara University where he taught graduate students in school psychology and counseling. He has authored numerous scholarly articles, books, book chapters, and programs in the areas of COVID-19, MTSS, autism, and college and career transition for students with disabilities.

 

His two most recent books are published through SAGE and Routledge and are entitled Multi-Tiered Systems of Support: A Practical Guide to Preventative Practice and Implementing Universal Social-Emotional Programs: A Step-by-Step Guide for Schools. He has presented on and offers consultation in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support and best preventative practices under three-tiered frameworks, such as RTI and SWPBS. He has also presented on the hurdles of growing up with a disability and the systemic challenges involved in entering the field of school psychology and education as a disabled person. Currently, Gary is finishing his terminal degree in School Psychology at the University of South Florida (USF) and will be rejoining Niagara University as a full-time Assistant Professor of School Psychology in August 2024. He can be reached through his email at geschaffer@gmail.com or followed on Twitter (now known as X) at @GE_Schaffer.