Janet Sauer

Professor

Janet Sauer draws on her own experiences teaching young children, adolescents, and adults in multiple contexts to prepare educators for inclusive education. Her scholarship is based in the interdisciplinary field of Disability Studies and focuses on family engagement. She believes advocacy for the inclusion of students with disabilities in community and educational contexts is a social justice issue and is necessary for a healthy democracy.

Dr. Sauer has a B.A. from Emerson College, M.Ed. from Ohio University, and Ed.D. from the University of Northern Iowa.

Select Publications

Ware, L. & Sauer, J. (2021). Steven J. Taylor: Blue man living in a red world. Editors. Brill Publishing. Series: Studies in Inclusive Education, Volume: 50/3.
Sauer, J. & Rossetti, Z. (2020). Affirming disability: Strengths-based portraits of culturally and linguistically diverse families’ experiences navigating special education systems. In Disability, Culture & Equity Book Series. A. Artiles, Editor. New York, NY: Teachers College Press. (Listen to Janet's podcast interview about the book here!)
Sauer, J. (2019). Research, relationships and making understanding: A look at Brantlinger’s Darla and the value of case study research. Chapter 3. In Ellen A. Brantlinger – When meaning falters and words fail, ideology matters. L. Ware and R. Slee, Editors. Brill Publishing.
Rossetti, Z., Redash, A., Bui, O., Sauer, J., Wen, Y., & Regensburger, D. (2018). Access, accountability, and advocacy: Culturally and linguistically diverse families’ engagement in IEP meetings. Exceptionality.
Sauer, J. (2017). Looking in and acting out: A personal search for inclusive pedagogical practice. In Culturally responsive teaching and reflection in Higher Education: Promising practices from the Cultural Literacy Curriculum Institute. Cochrane, S.V., Chhabra, M., & Jones, M. A., Editors. Jossey-Bass Publisher.
Rossetti, Z., Sauer, J., Bui, O., & Ou, S. (2017, August). Developing collaborative partnerships with culturally and linguistically diverse families during the IEP process.TEACHING Exceptional Children.
Sauer, J. & Lalvani, P. (2017). "From advocacy to activism: Families, communities, and collective change." Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities.
Sauer, J.S. & Jorgensen, C.M. (2016). Still caught in the continuum: A critical analysis of least restrictive environment and its effect on placement of students with intellectual disability. American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Inclusion, 4(2), 56-74
Sauer, J. (2013). Multiple identities, shifting landscapes. In Condition Critical: Key Principles for Equitable and Inclusive Education. Lawrence-Brown, D. & Sapon-Shevin, M., Eds. New York: Teachers College Press.
Sauer, J. (2013). Research, relationships and making understanding: A look at Brantlinger's Darla and the value of case study research. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 17(12),1253- 1264.
Sauer, J. & Albanesi, H. (2013). Questioning privilege from within the special education process. Understanding & Dismantling Privilege, 3(1), 1-21. Reprinted with permission in Privilege: A reader, 3rd edition. M. Kimmel & A. Ferber, Editors. Westview Press.
Sauer, J. (2012). Negotiating the social borderlands: Portraits of young people with disabilities and their struggles for positive relationships. Washington DC: American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD). Refereed.
Sauer, J. (2012).“Look at me”: Portraiture and agency. Disability Studies Quarterly, 32(4).
Sauer, J. & Kasa, C. (2012). Pre-service teachers listen to families of students with disabilities and learn a disability studies stance. Issues in Teacher Education, 21(2).

Select Presentations

Sauer, J. (2023, December 18). Guest speaker with host Jayne Singer, PhD focused on Disability, Culture & Equity. Brazelton Touchpoints Center at Children’s Hospital.
Sauer, J. (2021, April 9). Cultural Brokering With Families in the Research and Writing Process. Presenting at the American Education Research Association (AERA) 2021 Annual Conference.
Sauer, J. (2021, March 8-13). Reframing Disability and Developing Cultural Humility with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families. Presented at the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) 2021 Annual Conference.
Sauer, J., Gooden, A., Gimmi, S. (2019, November 8). Practicing What We Preach: Applying UDL Principles for 'Cross-pollination' in Undergraduate Learning Communities. Presented at the Second Annual Universal Design for Learning Conference, Goodwin College, East Hartford, CT.
Sauer, J., Ho, S., Hartmann, E. (2017, July 31). Applying UDL for Social Justice in Teacher Education. Presented at the CAST Conference.
Rossetti, Z. & Sauer, J. (2016, June). Learning from culturally and linguistically diverse families with children who receive special education services. Paper presented at the 16th Annual Second City International Conference on Disability Studies in Education (Disability Studies in Education SIG of the American Educational Research Association), Des Moines, IA.
Sauer, J. & Rossetti, Z. (2017, April). Negotiating meanings of disability through the lived experience of culturally and linguistically diverse families. Paper presented at the 2017 American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX.
Sauer, J. & Rosetti, Z. (2014). Disrupting Power in the Teacher Education Process through Collaborative Research. Peer-reviewed paper presentation. AERA conference in Philadelphia in April. This piece describes her work with culturally and linguistically diverse families who collaborate with Lesley students and The Federation for Children with Special Needs.
Sauer, J. (2014, May 3). What is inclusion? Invited presentation for families on behalf of Urban Pride at The Parent University and a workshop for youth with disabilities titled “Who am I? How do I learn?” as part of the conference where several of Sauer’s students from Lesley University volunteered.
Sauer, J. & Jorgensen, C. (2013, October 24). Creating Collaborative Partnerships. Invited presentation for the Fitchburg Special Education Parent Advisory Council.