Ben Schwartzman, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor of Special Education; Educational Consultant, Transition Tennessee
VKC Member
Overview of Interests
Dr. Schwartzman leads the Tennessee Employment Pathways Project (www.employmentpathways.org) which supports families of adults with autism or intellectual disability in connecting to paid work. This project is funded through the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment of Persons with IDD led by Virginia Commonwealth University. Through this randomized control trial, families complete a short course of informational classes on strategies for connecting their family members to paid employment. Then, half of the families who complete the short course are randomly selected to receive mentorship from another parent whose family member with IDD is already employed. Prior to his work at Vanderbilt, Schwartzman completed his Ph.D. at UCLA where he specialized in intervention research for youth and young adults with developmental disabilities. He is passionate about helping individuals with disabilities and their families navigate the transition from high school to adulthood.