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A native Pittsburgher, Dr. Zapalo is a developmental specialist in the Neonatal Developmental Follow-up Clinic at Magee-Womens Hospital. In addition to diagnostic and referral to early intervention services, she assesses children, ages 0-2 years, for research studies within the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She teaches and models infant assessment to Master-level students, medical students, residents, and fellows.
Dr. Zapalo received a B.S. in Elementary and Special Education from Penn State University. In 1985, she earned a Master of Education with an emphasis in Infant/Early Childhood Special Education from George Washington University. She consulted for the Alexandria, VA Visiting Nurse Association, the Public Health Department, and parent-education organizations. She served as Chair for the Alexandria, VA Chapter of Better Beginnings for Virginia’s Children, a coalition of health/service organizations and the Alexandria City schools. She taught special education in the Pittsburgh Public Schools and in Prince Georges County, MD. Her service as an educator spans several environments, including infant/toddler and preschool typical and special education classrooms, elementary classrooms, resource rooms, and university classrooms as well as church and hospital settings.
She completed her doctorate in education at Duquesne University in August 2006. Her dissertation, Assessing the Effect of a Learning Organization on Change in Levels of Developmentally Supportive Care in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit, compared levels of care in 17 research-based criteria, pre- and post intervention in the NICU. Dr. Zapalo facilitated the learning organization of nine clinical nurse leaders, who addressed three conceptual areas of developmental care: environmental support, individualized support, and family-centered care. Her passion is to continue research with the use of learning organizations to promote individualized, developmentally supportive family-centered care in the NICU.
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