Mia Laudato
Passion and purpose are 2 words to describe how Mia feels about inclusive education for students with disabilities. Mia has spent the last 25 years of her career dedicated to ensuring students with disabilities are provided with an inclusive, equitable and accessible education. With a passion for removing barriers for educators, students, and families alike, she brings a wealth of experience in working with integrating educational and assistive technology with a love for Universal Design for Learning. Her expertise lies in designing inclusive instruction for students with learning disabilities, especially those that have complex needs.
Prior to joining CAST, Mia served as a Technology & Learning Resource Specialist at FDLRS (Florida Diagnostic Learning & Resources Systems) where she provided technical assistance supports through professional learning, coaching, professional learning communities, collaboration with state and district partners serving 7 districts including virtual, charter, rural and the 8th largest district in the nation. Mia collaborated with various grant projects to create systems change towards building inclusive ecosystems in districts and schools. She also is a seasoned educator that has taught students from Pre-K through college in inclusive and separate classroom settings. Her dedication to excellence has been recognized through awards such as the Orange County Public Schools District Top 5 Teacher of the Year.
Mia shares her passion at international and national conferences where she presents on UDL, Edtech-quity, inclusive practices and more. You’ll often find her telling a “punny” joke, spending time kayaking, exploring places near and far with family and friends, attempting yoga and connecting with people through food, love, and laughter.
My Inspiration
My inspiration comes from the lived experiences of people around me and the stories of those I have yet to meet.
“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I’m Possible”
― Audrey Hepburn
“People with disabilities succeed when communities choose to be inclusive.”
― Haben Girma
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
― Mother Teresa
“Laugh as much as possible, always laugh. It’s the sweetest thing one can do for oneself & one’s fellow human beings”
―Maya Angelou
Education
Education MSEd, Special Education, University of Miami
B.S. Communications and Media Studies, University of Miami