Professional Narrative
Biography
James M. (Jim) Kauffman is Professor Emeritus of Education at the University of Virginia, where he was chair of the Department of Special Education, Associate Dean for Research, and held chaired professorships. He is a former teacher in both general elementary and special education for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Kauffman received his Ed.D. in special education from the University of Kansas in 1969, where the late Richard J. (Dick) Whelan was his primary mentor. He is a past president of the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (CCBD; now DEBH, the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division for Emotional and Behavioral Health).
Among his honors are the 1994 Research Award of the Council for Exceptional Children, the 2002 Outstanding Leadership Award from CCBD, the 2006 Award for Effective Presentation of Behavior Analysis in the Mass Media from the Society for Applied Behavior Analysis, a festschrift published in 2007 (Achieving the Radical Reform of Special Education: Essays in Honor of James M. Kauffman, edited by his Ph.D. advisees J. B. Crockett, M. M. Gerber, and T. J. Landrum), and the 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Kansas, School of Education.
The Badar-Kauffman conference on special education research, an annual event at Kent State University, is named for his wife, Jeanmarie Badar, and him. Badar received her master’s degree in special education at KSU, taught special education for 25 years, and earned her Ph.D. at the University of Virginia. She has become a frequent co-author with him.
Journals & Books
Kauffman has published over 30 professional books, including the titles that follow:
- Exceptional Learners: Introduction to Special Education (15th ed., 2023, co-authored with D. P. Hallahan & P. C. Pullen)
- The Sage Handbook of Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties (2nd ed., 2014, co-edited with P. Garner & J. Elliott)
- Characteristics of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders of Children and Youth (11th ed., 2018, co-authored with T. J. Landrum)
- Toward a Science of Education: The Battle Between Rogue and Real Science (2011)
- The Handbook of Special Education (2nd ed, 2017, co-edited with D. P. Hallahan & P. C. Pullen)
- The Tragicomedy of Public Education: Laughing and Crying, Thinking and Fixing (2010)
- The edited volume On educational inclusion: Meanings, history, issues and international perspectives (2020)
His forthcoming books include
- The edited volume Revitalizing special education: Revolution, devolution, and evolution, Navigating students’ mental health in the wake of COVID-19: Using public health crises to inform research and practice (edited with J. Badar)
- The 3rd edition of The Handbook of Special Education (co-edited with D. P. Hallahan & P. C. Pullen)
The journals and books in which Kauffman has published include many with an international readership. He has recently worked and is currently working with co-authors from many nations. He has also been a speaker at numerous professional meetings and made presentations in person in Australia, Canada, England, Norway, Taiwan, and Turkey. Using media, he has also made presentations more recently to audiences involving Germany, Greece, and Ireland, some of which are available to audiences throughout the world on YouTube.
Awards
- Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Kansas School of Education (2011)
- Award for Effective Presentation of Behavior Analysis in the Mass Media, Society for applied Behavior Analysis (2006)
- Outstanding Leadership Award, Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (2002)
- Publication Award, Teacher Education Division, Council for Exceptional Children (1998, 1990)
- Outstanding Faculty Award, Curry School of Education Foundation (1997)
- Special W. Kuhn Barnett Award, Virginia Council for Exceptional Children (1995)
- Research Award, Council for Exceptional Children (1994)
- Outstanding Service Award, Midwest Symposium for Leadership in Behavioral Disorders (1991)
Professional Affiliations
- President, Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (1990-1991)
- Vice President, Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (1988-1989)
- President, Society for Learning Disabilities and Remedial Education (1980-1981)
- International Academy for Research in Learning Disabilities
Civic
Creative Works
- Editor, ‘On Educational Inclusion: Meanings, History, Issues, and International Perspectives’ (2020)
- Author, ‘Cyber Abuse: The Dr. Laura Letter’ (2020)
- Consulting Editor, ‘Learning Disability Quarterly’ (1981-Present)
- Co-Author, ‘Issues in Educational Placement: Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders’ (1995)
- Co-Author, ‘Managing Classroom Behavior: A Reflective Case-Based Approach’ (first edition 1993)
- Associate Editor, ‘Exceptional Children’ (1988-1994, 1973-1976)
- Co-Editor, ‘Handbook of Special Education’ (first edition 2011)
- Editor, Journal, ‘Remedial and Special Education’ (1979-1987)
- Associate Editor, ‘Analysis and Intervention in Developmental Disabilities’ (1979-1983)
- Co-Author, ‘Exceptional Children: Introduction to Special Education’ (first edition 1978)
- Author, ‘Characteristics of Children’s Behavior Disorders’ (first edition 1977)
- Member, Editorial Advisory Board, Journal of Learning Disabilities (1976-1994)
- Co-Author, ‘Introduction to Learning Disabilities: A Psychobehavioral Approach’ (first edition 1976)
- Co-Editor, ‘Teaching Children with Learning Disabilities: Personal Perspectives’ (1976)
- Co-Editor, ‘Mental Retardation: Introduction and Personal Perspectives’ (1975)
- Co-Author, ‘Exceptional Children in Focus: Incidents, Concepts and Issues in Special Education’ (first edition 1974)
- Co-Editor, ‘Teaching Children with Behavior Disorders: Personal Perspectives’ (1974)
- Co-Author, ‘Teaching Children with Learning Problems’ (first edition 1973)
- Contributor, many book chapters and many professional journal articles
Patricia L. Pullen
Kauffman was married to 25 years to the late Patricia L. Pullen, a talented special education teacher and a gifted writer. She was his frequent coauthor during their marriage. Her writing of fiction and fictionalized experiences of herself and others was remarkable. Near the time of her death, she was searching for a publishing agent. Kauffman published most of her work posthumously, and it is available under the JustFiction imprint.
