Jennifer M. Schmidt, M.Ed., is a special education teacher at Beavercreek High School in Beavercreek, Ohio. Jennifer has 25 years of teaching experience in both general and special education settings. She began working closely with students with autism while teaching in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and was trained in the TEACCH method. At BHS, Jennifer and her now retired speech-language pathologist colleague piloted the PEERspective Learning Approach in the fall of 2007, and the class continues to this day. Many other school districts have adopted the same model with similar success and Jennifer has spoken internationally about this model and how to help students with autism. Jennifer is a passionate educator who enjoys presenting conferences about PEERspective, autism, and other topics related to special education. She was recognized as Beavercreek City Schools Teacher of the Year in 2012, and in 2014 received the Beavercreek Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year recognition as a result of her innovative teaching model. Jen's first book, Why didn't they just say that? was released by AAPC Publishing in 2017. This book earned the 2018 National Parent's Product Award and was an International Book Award Finalist. Jennifer stays active teaching at workshops, through her role as a lead teacher on the Autism Coalition Team, Beavercreek High School, and at The University of Dayton and Wright State University. She is committed to helping other schools find success in teaching pragmatic language to students on the autism spectrum through PEERspective. Be sure to check out her website for more information.