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portrait of Robin LaBarbera

Robin LaBarbera

  • Assistant Professor
  • Director of Special Education
  • Ph.D., Claremont Graduate University
  • M.A., Biola University
  • B.S., National University
  • B.A., California State University Long Beach

CV Document (PDF)

Dr. Robin LaBarbera teaches the undergraduate and graduate Elementary Curriculum classes and supervises student teachers in their field placements. She earned her Ph.D. in Education from Claremont Graduate University, and did her doctoral research about motivational factors that affect earning a college degree for adults with learning disabilities. Robin's background includes a B.A. in Business/Marketing from California State University Long Beach and a B.S. in Criminal Justice from National University. She served as a probation counselor at Orange County Juvenile Hall before teaching in inner-city Los Angeles. While teaching in Watts, she earned her M.A. in Education from Biola and completed her student teaching in Papua New Guinea. In her last three years of elementary teaching, she piloted an educational therapy program where she worked with struggling readers. Robin is a member of the Oxford University Round Table, and is a founding board member of the Kingdomworks SDG Foundation.

Affiliations

  • Council for Learning Disabilities
  • International Dyslexia Association
  • International Reading Association
  • American Educational Research Association
  • Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)

Publications

Article

  • LaBarbera, R. (2008). “Perceived social support and self-esteem in adolescents with learning disabilities at a private school.” Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal, 6(1), 33-44.

  • LaBarbera, R. and Soto-Hinman, I. (Spring, 2009). “Toward a model of promoting literacy for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the general education classroom. ” Forum on Public Policy online journal

  • LaBarbera, R., and Vidaurre, L. (In press). “English as a Foreign Language Textbook, Primary 1 Level. ” Colorado Springs, Colorado: Purposeful Design Publications.

  • Dissertation: “Self-Efficacy, Goal Orientation, and Attributional Style in Two Groups of Adults With Learning Disabilities,” defended April 2007, graduation May 2007.

Presentations

  • LaBarbera, R., and Soto-Hinman, I. (2009, March). “Toward a model of promoting literacy for students with Autism Spectrmb Disorder in the general education classroom.” Paper presented at the Oxford Round Table on Autism, Oxford, England.

  • Seminar presentation: “Dyslexia Detective: Solving the Mystery of Learning Disabilities in the Classroom,” ACSI convention, Anaheim, CA, November 2006

  • Interactive poster presentation: “I Finally Feel Good About Myself: Research on LD and Self-Esteem,” International Dyslexia Association, Indianapolis, IN, November 2006

  • Teacher in-service workshop: “Working Together: The Cooperative Learning Classroom,” Calvary Chapel Christian School, Downey, CA, April 2007.