Meet Your IEP Heroes

Dr. David F. Bateman brings more than three decades of experience across every side of special education. He taught special education for 5 years, has been a professor for 29 years and has served as a due process hearing officer for 10 years and a mediator for 5. He has authored 34 books, has been involved in 1,049 special education cases, and is President-Elect of the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division for Learning Disabilities. His research focuses on ways to reduce litigation and help schools learn from mistakes, and he serves as a consultant to Parallel Learning.

Jordan Wright is the Chief Clinical Officer at Parallel, as well as a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology at New York University. He received a Master's in Psychology in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University. He is board certified in assessment (by the American Board of Assessment Psychology, ABAP) and clinical psychology (by the American Board of Professional Psychology, ABPP). He specializes in psychological testing and assessment, having authored multiple widely used textbooks on the subject, including Conducting Psychological Assessment: A Guide for Practitioners and the Handbook of Psychological Assessment, Sixth Edition. He has conducted research and published widely on the evidence base behind tele-assessment (psychological and educational assessment using remote videoconferencing technology), including the only book on the topic, the Essentials of Psychological Tele-Assessment.

In addition to his roles at Parallel and NYU, he has served as an executive board member of the Society for Personality Assessment (including currently), President of the Assessment Section of Division 12 of the American Psychological Association, and Chair of APA's Board of Educational Affairs. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Assessment Psychology, the Society for Personality Assessment, and the American Psychological Association. He has worked with countless children, families, and adults over his career, with a particular passion for increasing access to assessment for those who may not be able to afford expensive private evaluations.