The University of Nevada, Reno, is supporting Nevada’s youngest learners through the launch of IGNITE: Innovative Growth for Nevada’s Interdisciplinary Team Empowerment, a new interdisciplinary preparation program designed to address statewide shortages of qualified professionals serving young children with significant autism and high-intensity needs.

The 325K grant, funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs, IGNITE marks the second major interdisciplinary preparation grant awarded to the University in recent years. The program builds upon the success of two earlier federally funded initiatives that have prepared more than 60 early childhood specialists and speech-language pathologists to serve Nevada families.

“We are beyond excited to be awarded funds to support the development of early childhood special education teachers and speech-language pathologists for our community," Lindsay Diamond, Ph.D., who is the co-principal investigator of the grant, said.

Developed through a partnership between the College of Education and Human Development, the School of Medicine and the National Institute of Artificial Intelligence for Exceptional Education, IGNITE will prepare 32 Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) and Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) scholars to deliver collaborative, evidence-based services to young children with disabilities.

“Children with disabilities develop within systems, not silos. Preparing preprofessionals to collaborate across disciplines reflects how support truly occurs in early childhood settings,” key personnel for the grant, Cheryl Larson, M.A., CCC-SLP, explained. “When SLPs and early childhood special educators train together, they learn to see the whole child rather than isolated skill areas.”

Through shared coursework, interdisciplinary seminars, group assignments and coordinated field experiences, scholars will develop the skills to conduct assessments, implement individualized interventions and make data-based decisions that support children’s developmental and communication goals. Scholars will also gain AI literacy and digital citizenship, enhancing and enriching instruction for young learners through the careful selection of ethical AI tools.

“Our IGNITE curriculum is truly cutting-edge because we are equipping our scholars to be critical consumers of artificial intelligence,” Project Director Abbie Olszewski, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, explained. “We ensure they graduate as critical and ethical consumers of AI. This will enable them to responsibly select the best tools to enhance instruction for our youngest learners.”

Upon completion, IGNITE scholars will earn a Master of Special Education with an emphasis in early intervention/early childhood special education or a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. Graduates will be fully qualified for state and national certification and committed to delivering interdisciplinary, family-centered services across Nevada’s early intervention and early childhood special education settings.

The IGNITE program builds on the foundation of two prior grants:

The Nevada Collaborative (NVC), a 325K grant awarded in 2019, prepared 56 ECSE and SLP scholars to provide interdisciplinary special education and related services to young children with significant autism and high-intensity needs.

Nevada Collaborative 2.0 (NVC 2.0), a 325R grant awarded in 2024, expanded that focus by preparing 28 SLP scholars to serve young children with autism across early childhood and regular education environments. Thirteen scholars are currently enrolled in NVC 2.0.

With IGNITE, the University continues its legacy of innovation in early childhood and special education, uniting experts across disciplines to improve outcomes for children and families statewide.

For more information or to apply to be an IGNITE scholar, email Abbie Olszewski, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, at aolszewski@unr.edu.