Dr. Andy Dakopolos began his education career as a paraprofessional in a 1st grade classroom for children with challenging and violent behaviors. He fell in love with teaching, and earned a masters in teaching from Willamette University in both general and special education. He worked as a high school special education teacher and head track and field coach at Glendale High School in Los Angeles before seeking further education. Andy earned his PhD with a focus on Intellectual Disability and Autism in the Department of Educational Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University’s school of education in New York City, and also has a masters degree in applied statistics from Teachers College.

Andy has taught special education at the elementary, middle and high school levels, has supervised special education student teachers in their teaching placements, and has presented to parent groups and organizations on family rights through the IEP process. He currently holds clear California teaching credentials in both Mild/Moderate, and Moderate/Severe Disabilities. Andy has taught in self-contained classrooms for individuals with severe disabilities, as well as in resource classrooms and as a co-teacher in general education classrooms supporting special education students in both English and Math. Andy also served as an Inclusion Specialist at George Washington High School in San Francisco, working to meaningfully include students with moderate and severe disabilities with their peers.

Andy has extensive experience working with autistic children and their families. He also has worked closely with individuals with ADHD and learning disabilities, as well as individuals with Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, Williams syndrome, rare genetic conditions and individuals with significant physical disabilities.

Andy has worked at the UC Davis MIND Institute since 2020 as a postdoctoral researcher, conducting and developing cognitive and behavioral assessments for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. See Andy’s peer-reviewed publications and presentations HERE. 

Andy is passionate about helping children with disabilities succeed. For the past 16 years he has dedicated himself to serving children with disabilities and their families, and his expertise in the classroom, deep knowledge of neuropsychological testing, and strong advocacy skills guide his work as an educational consultant. Check out Andy’s CV here!