Christopher Lemons

Christopher J. Lemons, Ph.D., is a Professor of Education in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University. His academic background includes a Doctor of Philosophy in Special Education from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University (2008), a Master of Arts in Special Education from the University of Texas at Austin (2000), a Bachelor of Science in Applied Learning and Development (Special Education) from the University of Texas at Austin (1999), and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin (1996). Prior to academia, Lemons taught special education in settings such as a preschool autism unit, elementary resource and inclusion programs, and a middle school life skills classroom. He joined Stanford after serving as an associate professor at Vanderbilt University.

Lemons' research focuses on improving academic outcomes for children and adolescents with intellectual, developmental, and learning disabilities, particularly through developing and evaluating reading interventions for individuals with Down syndrome. His expertise includes reading interventions for those with learning and intellectual disabilities, data-based individualization, intervention-related assessment, and professional development. He has obtained funding from the Institute of Education Sciences, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, and National Institutes of Health. Awards include the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from President Obama (2016), Distinguished Early Career Research Award from the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division for Research (2017), and Pueschel-Tjossem Research Award from the National Down Syndrome Congress (2016). He serves as Senior Advisor to the National Center on Intensive Intervention and Progress Center at American Institutes for Research, Chair of the Pacific Coast Research Conference Executive Committee, President-Elect of the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division of Research, and Co-Director of the Stanford Down Syndrome Research Center. Key publications are 'Math interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder: A best-evidence synthesis' (2016), 'Phonological awareness of children with Down syndrome: Its role in learning to read and the effectiveness of related interventions' (2010), 'Inclusive Special Education: What Do We Mean and What Do We Want?' (2024), and 'Parent-Implemented Reading Intervention for Children With Intellectual and Developmental Disability' (2024).

Professional Email: chris.lemons@stanford.edu