Jeri Custodero, Ph.D.

Lecturer

Dr. Jeri Custodero is a lecturer in the Department of Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education at the University of Kentucky (UK), where she has been since 2017. She earned her B.S.Ed. with a focus on special education from the University of Georgia, her M.Ed. from Georgia State University, and her Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Prior to joining UK, she served as an adjunct professor at Middle Tennessee State University.

Prior to earning her doctorate in the field of Special Education, Disabilities, and Risk Studies, Dr. Custodero worked in special education in the metro Atlanta public school system, teaching students with both high- and low-incidence disabilities. She was particularly interested in advocating for the rights of parents in the special education process, special education curriculum, and behavior interventions.

Dr. Custodero’s current research focuses on anxiety as it relates to high-incidence individuals and the implementation of methods to address anxiety in college-aged students with disabilities. Her research interests continue to include parents’ rights and behavior interventions for students in both high- and low-incidence populations along as well as teacher education.

Dr. Custodero lives with her husband, Mark, and their dog Tucker. She has one son living in Nashville and two step-daughters living in California and Virginia.

Research categories: Special Education, High-Incidence Disabilities, Anxiety, Teacher Education