Kayla Malone, Ph.D., is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the Kansas University Center on Disabilities. 

She is an interdisciplinary researcher broadly focused on autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities, inclusive and special education, and the development and evaluation of affirming supports and resources in partnership with people with disabilities across school, employment, and community settings. 

Her scholarship includes more than a dozen peer-reviewed publications, with work appearing in journals such as Autism in Adulthood, Exceptional Children, The Journal of Special Education, and Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Her research has been supported by funding from the Organization for Autism Research, the Southern Equality Research and Policy Center, and the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs.

She earned her Ph.D. in Applied Developmental Science and Special Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, along with a graduate certificate in Participatory Research. She also holds an M.Ed. in Special Education from North Carolina State University and a graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from The Pennsylvania State University.