ExitEvent: UNC autism experts’ startup frees teachers to help students succeed

When teachers are loaded with federally-mandated paperwork and case reports, the pressure to fulfill daily administrative procedures can send a sincere passion for teaching to the back of their minds.

The extra time spent meeting requirements makes the risk of burnout especially resonant for special ed teachers, says the pair of women behind EduLync, a software system designed to address this challenge.

Federal procedures instruct teachers of kids with diagnosed disabilities to develop Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for their students, complete with action items and goals personalized to kids’ specific learning patterns and needs.

Helen Fuller and Becky Dees (pictured above), both consultants in the UNC School of Medicine’s TEACHH Autism Program, found there just isn’t enough time for special ed teachers to help students achieve goals. Their research shows, on average, special education teachers only spend 27 percent of their day instructing students.

So in 2015 they began combining their 15+ years of experience in special ed programming to design a web application that cuts down the amount of time teachers spend managing IEPs and the related reports necessary to keep up with them.

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