Christine Evans
Professor of Practice and Director of Education Off-Site Programs
Christine Evans is the Graduate Program Director/Associate Professor of Practice for the Severe Disabilities Program at The New England Center for Children, which is the largest off site program in the Department of Education. Chris has worked at Simmons University for over 20 years. Her main focus is on teacher preparation in the field of severe disabilities.
While overseeing the program, Chris also advices over 200 graduate students and supervises practicum and interns in both private and public schools, including our partner program in the United Arab of Emerites (Abu Dhabi) and the Post Master’s Licensure Program. Chris travels to Abu Dhabi every year to observe practicum students and to consult to the program.
Chris teaches and supervision include SPND 446 Learners with Special Needs, which is taught as a hybrid course. She directs and supervises all practicum placements for SPND 478 and SPND 488. Chris currently consults on campus to develop new initiatives for the special education program.
Currently, Chris is the President of the Massachusetts Council for Exceptional Children and an advisory board member at The New England Center for Children. In addition, Chris is also a member of The Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysts and Therapy, The University Collaborative Supervisors, The Massachusetts Association for Colleges and Teacher Education and The Association for Behavior Analysis International.
Chris also serves on the nominating committee for the Myrna E. Libby Scholar Award as well as the Eli Schuch Award. She recently co-chaired the Transition Matters conference, which focused on evidenced-based practices to improve the post-school outcomes of Massachusetts youth with disabilities.
Chris has contributed research and clinical articles. These include Using Video Modeling to Teach Children with PSS-NOS to respond to Facial Expressions (Axe and Evans 2012), Personal You: Strategies to Help Reduce Teacher Stress (Council for Exceptional Children Today (Evans and Hardin 2010).
Education
- B.A. Hartwick College
- M.Ed. Lesley University School of Education
Courses
- SPND 446: Learners With Special Needs
- SPND 487: Seminar
- SPND 488: Seminar and Fieldwork in Education
Research/Creative Activities
Articles include Using Video Modeling to Teach Children with PSS-NOS to respond to Facial Expressions (Axe and Evans 2012), Personal You: Strategies to Help Reduce Teacher Stress (Council for Exceptional Children Today (Evans and Hardin 2010).
Christine Evans in the News
Simmons Celebrates 30-Year Partnership with the New England Center for Children
For 30 years, Simmons has been providing specialized teacher training for employees at the New England Center for Children. Professor Christine Evans has witnessed the evolution of this program and the remarkable dedication of NECC teachers. Based in Southborough, the...
Shout-outs from Students and Alums
Lead Therapist of Special Education Teaches with her Heart
Alia Al-Suwaidi ’24MSEd is determined to ensure that all children — regardless of their disability — can learn and thrive effectively. She is a member of the first international cohort of Simmons students at the Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Special Education, operated by the New England Center for Children, and the winner of the inaugural Dr. D. Daniel Gould Award for Global Excellence in Special Education Teaching.