Joanne Lara is a faculty member at National University in the department of Special Education in Los Angeles, California. Lara earned her master’s in Special Education; Moderate/Severe & Multiple Disabilities from California State University, Northridge and a B.A. in Dance from the University of South Florida. She holds a California Moderate/Severe Education Specialist K-12 teaching credential and taught in the Los Angeles Unified School District for over 10 years, where she worked exclusively with students with autism.  Ms. Lara is a Program Supervisor for an NPA; Inclusive Education and Community Partnership (IECP) in LA.

Joanne Lara has taught dance in the Los Angeles Unified School District Arts Prototype program, delivering standard based instruction to K-6th grade general education students as well as special needs students. Ms. Lara has written extensively about Environmental Toxins and Autism (see Research), and presents “Autism Movement Therapy” at conferences throughout the state.