Dr. Dianne Zager is delighted to join the Unicorn Children’s Foundation Board of Directors. Currently retired from fulltime employment, Dr. Zager maintains a private practice in which she provides guidance and advocacy to families of individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. She is internationally recognized as a pioneer in autism education, with over 30 years’ experience directing graduate and post-graduate university programs. Prior to retirement, she served as Head of Shrub Oak International School, where she created and oversaw development of the school's mission, philosophy and curriculum, managing all aspects of the school’s program. Dr. Zager has consulted with school districts across the U.S. to develop autism educational programs and founded one of the nation’s first college support programs for students with autism at Pace University in New York City. Leadership experience includes serving as president of the New York State Council for Exceptional Children, the Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities of the International Council for Exceptional Children, and the Northeastern Educational Research Association. Dr. Zager has done extensive work in the transition of students with autism to adulthood and employment. She was founding editor of Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, one of the most widely read autism journals in the nation, and has authored numerous books, chapters, and research papers on topics related to the education of students with autism spectrum disorders. She has been awarded the Burton Blatt Humanitarian Award, from the Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities of the International Council for Exceptional Children.
