An American Professor in Armenia: Reflections on Special Education, Speech-Language Pathology, and University Teaching

Abstract

The author recounts his experience as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar in the Department of Special Education at Armenian State Pedagogical University in Yerevan during the fall of 2016. He describes the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, especially as it pertains to Armenia, and explores the current state of special education in Armenia, specifically inclusion and its impact on students, families, and faculty. The author describes courses he taught for students majoring in speech–language pathology or the education of students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing as well as guest lectures given in Yerevan and elsewhere in Armenia. In addition, he describes a research project he initiated at an elementary school in Yerevan. He concludes with insights gained from this experience.