Joshua Baker is a professor of special education (intellectual disability, autism, and applied behavior analysis). Josh completed his doctorate in special education, with an emphasis on access to the general education curriculum for students with intellectual/developmental disabilities (including students with autism), at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2008.

Prior to joining UNLV in 2012, Josh worked as a classroom teacher in West Virginia and as a research associate on an IES grant that focused on teaching literacy to students with I/DD. Josh has received over $5 million in external funds to help support teacher preparation and his research activities. Josh's research focuses on K-12 general curriculum access as well as the transition from school to work/community for students with intellectual disabilities and autism.

He is currently collaborating with Catherine Bacos and the State of Nevada’s Department of Inclusive Education on developing curriculum to assist teachers working with students on the state’s alternative diploma, and is the creator and executive director of the Nevada General Curriculum Access (NVGCA) Center. The NVGCA not only houses the post-secondary transition program but also provides educators working with students on the state’s alternate assessment with professional development, standards-aligned instructional materials, and academic and behavioral resources.

Josh is active in the community and has served on several state boards and nonprofit boards as a disability advocate. In addition, he has served as the interim doctoral coordinator, the creator and director of Project FOCUS, the co-director of the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, and the director of the Board Certified Behavior Analyst program.

He currently teaches courses in intellectual disability, autism, and applied behavior analysis. Learn more about the Nevada General Curriculum Access Center.