Melody Zagami Furze is an Education Specialist for the Professional Development and Training team at the Haring Center for Inclusive Education. She received her doctoral degree in Special Education from the University of Northern Colorado in 2021. She earned her Master’s in Special Education from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. She also consults as part of the brain-based visual impairment research and development team for the Anchor Center for Blind Children in Denver, Colorado. Prior to moving to Washington state, Melody worked previously at the Perkins School for the Blind, The New Mexico School for the Blind, and school districts in Vermont, Massachusetts, and Washington. 

Melody’s work focuses on learning strategies and techniques for children with sensory impairments. Her expertise is program development for young learners with diverse neurological profiles, coaching, consultation, collaboration with early childhood teams, and early intervention and preschool support. She does consultation and research for children with cognitive and developmental impairment, visual processing disorders, and children with severe and complex needs. Her previous experiences include home visits and early intervention, assessment development for children with multiple impairments, and brain imaging research to practice. The majority of Melody’s work intersects with clinical manifestations of atypical neurological development in early childhood populations and developing learning environments for inclusive practice.