Dr. Saashya Rodrigo serves as the Associate Director of Research and Principal Researcher at the National Center for Learning Disabilities, where her extensive expertise as an education researcher, family and teacher consultant, and classroom teacher provides the foundation for her leadership in multiple initiatives, including NCLD’s landmark project, The State of Learning Disabilities. Her professional interests span teacher stress and turnover, special education instruction and early intervention, and education equity and accessibility. She is especially committed to bridging not just the research-to-practice gap, but also the knowledge-to-practice gap, by collaborating with a variety of audiences to better understand the knowledge, experiences, and needs of the community. At the core of her work is ensuring that complex information is translated in a way that is accurate and meaningful, empowering diverse audiences to interpret it with ease and use it as the foundation for change. Driven by her strong belief in the power of data and the meaningful dissemination of quality research findings, Saashya is committed to positively impacting learning, teaching, community and organizational outcomes.Saashya’s academic journey started at Georgia State University, where she received her bachelors in Birth Through Five Education, and her Masters in Multiple and Severe Disabilities. Her teaching career spans the public and private school systems. Education inequity was prevalent in her career, leading her to dive deeper into research-based systemic change. This led her to Austin, TX, where she received a Ph.D. in learning and behavioral disabilities from the University of Texas. During her doctoral studies, she contributed to several federally funded research studies in the critical areas of reading, mathematics, and behavioral sciences.

Saashya’s multicultural background—having been born and raised in the island nation of Sri Lanka—enriches her perspectives and approach to her work. Beyond her academic pursuits, she embraces a vibrant array of interests and hobbies. An avid concert-goer, fitness enthusiast, lover of the outdoors, and foodie, Saashya also nurtures her determined gardening endeavors, even if they are not always successful. She currently resides in Austin, Texas, alongside her husband, a high school mathematics teacher, and Colombo, their loyal cattle dog.

Her diverse experiences and commitment to improving education outcomes  through accessible and meaningful data, contribute significantly to the organization’s mission of supporting families, teachers, and individuals with learning disabilities.