Educational Background

Educational Background
I was trained as a school psychologist and received my doctorate (PhD) in 2013 at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Within the program I focused on learning about how to improve student outcomes and developed an interest in early education and intervention. I took additional courses on Autism Spectrum Disorder, Behavior Problems, and Behavior Modification. My research interests included instructional strategies, learning disabilities, student self-efficacy, and social processes involved in learning. I had the fortune of working with excellent colleagues and professors. I worked in the university-based KLASS Center, where I conducted psychoeducational evaluations. I completed my internship at Lenoir City Schools, where I had the opportunity to work with excellent staff and in a rural setting with a large English-Language Learning population.

I have continued to seek additional professional education opportunities by attending annual conferences and training seminars. I am trained in the evaluation of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tic Disorders (including Tourette's Disorder), Learning Disabilities (i.e., Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia), and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. I have also studied the evaluation and treatment of related disorders, including childhood anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, trichotillomania (hair-pulling), and excoriation (skin-picking).