Associate Professor
Director, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration in Autism (CIRCA)
Only Accepting MEds for the 2026 – 2027 school year
Victoria Knight is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at the University of British Columbia. With over 25 years of experience serving autistic students, students with developmental disabilities (DD), and students with extensive support needs (ESN)., Dr. Knight is committed to listening to, learning from, and lifting up the voices of these and other marginalized communities. This commitment to equity underpins her research, teaching, and mentoring of students, guiding efforts to address systemic barriers to equity within the field of special education. Dr. Knight is deeply committed to student learning and growth and considers mentoring to be an integral part of her role as a professor. Dr. Knight works closely with students to support their academic, professional, and personal development.
Dr. Knight’s professional journey in the field of special education began as an educational assistant supporting an autistic student. She has served in a variety of roles throughout her career, including an inclusion teacher, classroom educator. Her work has primarily centered on creating equitable opportunities for autistic students, students with DD, and students with ESN to succeed in educational environments. Her research interests include:
- Promoting the learning of academic content for all students, particularly within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines
- Evaluating the collateral benefits of STEM inclusion for autistic students, individuals with DD, and students with ESN
- Assessing and disseminating evidence-based practices for autistic students, students with DD, and students with ESN
Dr. Knight has published extensively, presented at international conferences, and trained educators worldwide in these areas. In recognition of her impactful contributions and innovative approaches within the autism field, she was honored with a Research Award from the Council for Exceptional Children, Division of Autism and Developmental Disabilities in 2019. Her scholarly output includes over 40 peer-reviewed articles, Additionally, she serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Special Education and Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities.
Scholarly Interests:
Applied Behaviour Analysis, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Developmental Disabilities, Single-Case Research, Academic Interventions, Instructional Strategies
Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Credential, 2019
Annual Council for Exceptional Children, Division of Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research Award, 2019
Editorial Board Member, The Journal of Special Education, 2017-present
Editorial Board Member, Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 2013- present
Editorial Board Member, Rural Special Education Quarterly, 2013- present
Editorial Board Member, Research and Practices for Persons with Severe Disabilities (formerly JASH), 2012-present
EPSE 574 Principles of Behavior Analysis
EPSE 572 Theory, Philosophic underpinnings, and Application of Behaviour Analysis
EPSE 549 Seminar in Autism
EPSE 449 Education of Students with Autism
University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2010, Ph.D., Special Education
University of Northern Colorado, 2005, M.A., Special Education
University of California at Santa Cruz, 1997, B.A., Biology
For a complete list of peer-reviewed publications, see Google Scholar or
or Research Gate Profiles.
Student co-authors are underlined.
Kwon, E. Y., Cannon, J. E., Knight, V. F., & Mercer, S. (2023). Effects of social stories on increasing social interaction and engagement of Deaf and Hard of Hearing with Autism Spectrum Disorder in inclusive settings. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.doi:10.1007/s10803-022-05430-4
Kuntz, E., Carter, E., Cassady, K., & Knight, V. F. (2022). Observing inclusion in STEM Classes: Academic and social participation of students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. Inclusion, 10(1), 1-18. doi: https://doi.org/10.1352/2326-6988-10.1.1
Bailey, D., Ford, L., & Knight, V. (2021). Exploring perceptions of positive mental health in young adults with intellectual disabilities. Accepted to Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 35(1), doi: 10.1111/jar.12932
Katz, J., Knight, V., Mercer, S. H., & Skinner, S. (2020). Effects of a universal school-based mental health program on the self-concept, coping skills, and perceptions of social support of students with developmental disabilities. Advanced online publication in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. doi: 10.1007/s10803-020-04472-w
Wright, J., Knight, V., & Barton, E. (2020). A review of video-based modeling to teach STEM to students with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability. Manuscript accepted to Research in Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Wright, J., Knight, V., & Barton, E. (2019). Video prompting to teach robotics and coding to students with autism spectrum disorder. Manuscript accepted to Journal of Special Education Technology.
Knight, V., Wood, A. L., McKissick, B., & Kuntz, E. (2019). Teaching science content and practices to students with intellectual disability and autism. Remedial and Special Education, 1-14. Advanced online publication doi.org/10.1177/0741932519843998
Knight, V., Wright, J., & Defreese, A. (2019). Teaching robotics coding to a student with ASD and severe problem behavior. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(6), 2632-2636. doi:10.1007/s10803-019-03888-3
Knight, V., Wright, J., Wilson, K., & Hooper, A. (2019). Teaching digital block-based coding to high school students with ASD and challenging behavior. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(8), 3113-3126. doi: 10.1007/s10803-019-04033-w
Ruppar, A. L., Jeglum, S. R., McQueston, J. A., & Knight, V. (2018). Involvement and progress in the general curriculum: A grounded theory of the process. Remedial and Special Education. Advanced online publication doi: 10.1177/0741932518806045
Knight, V., Huber, H., Kuntz, E., Juarez, A. P., & Carter, E. (2018). Instructional practices, priorities, and preparedness for educating students with autism and intellectual disability. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 34(1), 3-14. doi: 10.1007/s10803-018-3476-2
Root, J., Knight, V., & Mims, P. (2017). A guide to addressing multiple priorities in core content instruction for students with severe disabilities. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 40(1), 56-61. doi: 10.1177/2165143416680997
Sartini, E., Knight, V., Spriggs, A., & Allday, A. (2017). Generalization strategies to promote comprehension skills by students with ASD in core content areas. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 33(3), 150-159. doi: 1088357617735815.
Heinrich, S., Collins, B., Knight, V., & Spriggs, A. (2016). Embedded simultaneous prompting procedure to teach STEM content to high school students with moderate disability in an inclusive setting. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 51(1), 41-54.
Knight, V., Sartini, E., & Spriggs, A. (2015). Evaluating visual activity schedules as evidence-based practice for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(1), 157-178. doi 10.1007/s10803-014-2201-z
Spriggs, A., Knight, V., & Sherrow, L. (2015). Talking picture schedules: Embedding video models into visual activity schedules to increase independence for students with ASD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders [Special Issue on Autism and Technology], 45(12), 3846–3861. doi 10.1007/s10803-014-2315-3