ECU Teacher Support Program | College of Education

Teacher Support Program for Learners with DeafBlindness

ECU Teacher Support Program

Meet Our Team

Andrea Blackwood M.Ed. serves as the Technical Assistance Coordinator for the ECU Teacher Support Program for Learners with DeafBlindness by providing intensive technical assistance to a number of LEA’s for teachers of learners who are DeafBlind, conducting follow-up visits as requested, and providing 1:1 coaching. Andrea has extensive teaching experience with learners who have DeafBlindness and additional disabilities. She has an MAEd in special education and holds North Carolina teacher licensure in the adapted curriculum hearing Impairments, visual impairments. Additionally, she has earned ECU graduate certificates in assistive technology and DeafBlindness. Andrea works collaboratively with team members from the NC DeafBlind project to provide intensively and targeted training to teachers and personnel who serve learners with DeafBlindness. In her spare time, you will most often find her at the beach. The ocean is her happy place that always brings peace and contentment!

Julie Brickhouse MAEd, NBCT serves as a Technical Consultant for the ECU Teacher Support Program for Learners with DeafBlindness. She is also an instructor within the special education program at East Carolina University. She retired as a special education teacher. During her years of teaching, she worked directly with students with significant disabilities and DeafBlindness. Her classroom was one of three model sites in North Carolina for demonstrating teaching literacy methods to students with these disabilities. She is a Kenan Fellow and continues to consult with them on projects as related to special education and STEM education. Julie completed the ECU Graduate Certificate in DeafBlindness and continues to consult with teachers and related service personnel throughout the state who serve learners with deafblindness. She has participated in various research projects through ECU related to teaching math and literacy to students with significant disabilities and DeafBlindness. She values spending time with family, reading, and hanging out at the beach. She also enjoys working on special needs Christian ministry projects.

Patty Dischinger M.Ed., is a certified teacher of students with hearing and visual impairments and has a graduate certificate from ECU in DeafBlindness. She worked in special education in NC for 36 years, most of that time for Early Learning Sensory Support (hearing impairments) and Governor Morehead Preschool (visual impairments). Patty worked as a technical assistant for the South Carolina DeafBlind Project for the 2017-2018 school year and joined the ECU DeafBlind Teacher Support Project as a technical assistance consultant with a focus on early intervention in 2019. In her spare time, she enjoys reading mysteries!

Moniqua Gallop serves as the Digital Communications Consultant for the ECU DeafBlind Teacher Support Program. In her role, she facilitates much of our universal technical assistance including our website, DB Tip of the Week, and social media. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Health with a concentration in Pre-Health and the DeafBlind Graduate Certificate from East Carolina University. Purple and gold run deep for Moniqua! Her hobbies include making cakes and treats, drawing and making ping pong tables.

Sandra Hopfengardner Warren, PhD, is the director of the ECU DeafBlind Teacher Support Program and co-director of the North Carolina DeafBlind Project. She is also a professor in the ECU Department of Special Education, Foundations, and Research and serves as the director of special education graduate programs. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, watching her chickens and fish, and hanging out with grandkids!

Request Technical Assistance

Need technical assistance from the ECU Teacher Support Program for Learners with DeafBlindness? Fill out our assistance request form.

TSP Request for Assistance Form

ECU MAST Modules

The Modules Addressing Special Education and Teacher Education (MAST) were created to focus on important topics in special education courses and professional development for teachers. Concepts have broad application for all special education teachers have been formatted in brief modules which may be viewed in about one hour. There are links to resources which may also be accessed for additional information on the topic. This group of OSEP-funded modules is designed for use in courses to prepare special education teachers or for professional development activities with teachers.

View the ECU MAST Modules

ECU DeafBlind Graduate Certificate

The DeafBlindness Certificate is an online program to prepare educators in the area of DeafBlindness based on nationally recognized competencies, reviewed by ECU faculty, and the National Consortium of DeafBlindness. Educators, family members, and other professionals with undergraduate degrees who work with students who have DeafBlindness will benefit from this certificate.