Dr. Carlie Rhoads

Carlie Rhoads, Ph.D. served as AFB's Program Metrics and Evaluation Specialist, after initially joining the organization as a research specialist. She was responsible for providing specialized knowledge and expertise in the development, selection, and implementation of metrics and methodologies to measure the impact of AFB and client programs, policies, and initiatives.

Prior to AFB, Dr. Rhoads was director of the Oregon Deafblind Project, where she served children with deafblindness and their families for two years.

Dr. Rhoads was a scholar with the National Leadership Consortium on Sensory Disabilities (NLCSD) for four years during her PhD program. She has also presented at numerous national conferences including the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER). She has given talks on numerous topics including deafblindness, mental health issues for children with disabilities, using constant time delay for dual media learners, and how to use email feedback as a coaching tool.

Dr. Rhoads earned her doctorate from Vanderbilt University in 2019, where she studied special education, visual impairments, and research methodology. She holds certifications as a teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI), special educator grades kindergarten through 12th, and holds highly qualified status in language arts and reading. Dr. Rhoads has also worked as a comprehensive development classroom teacher, where she taught children with severe and sensory disabilities, kindergarten through fourth grade. Her current research interests include evidence-based practices for children with visual impairments, deafblindness, severe and multiple disabilities, communication, and mental health.