Hollie Hix-Small, PhD, is an assistant professor of special education and coordinator of the Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) Program. She holds a BSc (honors) in developmental psychology, an MSc in early intervention, and earned her doctorate in early intervention, special education at the University of Oregon in 2007.
Her interest in the field of early childhood intervention grew exponentially after working as a caregiver in a South African orphanage in the mid-1990s and her commitment to improving the lives of children in alternative care continues today.
Prior to joining the College of Education in 2014, she worked for Open Society Foundation in London, England where she managed the organization’s early childhood intervention and early childhood care work in Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, and Peru. She has supported the development of national early childhood intervention services and systems in more than six countries. She has also served as a professor in Toronto, Canada, an investigator on several research projects, and worked as a data analyst utilizing advanced statistical techniques.
Dr. Hix-Small’s expertise lies in supporting very young children and their families, birth to age three, who are experiencing developmental and social emotional difficulties. Her research interests include the timely identification of children with developmental delays and disabilities, development of coordinated systems, and professional development for early childhood professionals.