School Psychologist, Testing Technician, Program Facilitator, and Resident in Clinical Psychology
Dr. Hodges is a school psychologist with over 20+ years of experience in pediatric and school settings. She has worked with individuals from preschool-age through 21, providing an array of services to include assessment, intervention, and consultation. Dr. Hodges enjoys helping young people recognize their strengths, identifying skill areas in need of support, and assisting parents and caregivers with strategies and resources to support their children.
As a practitioner in the schools, Dr. Hodges is familiar with resources and programming available for children and youth who have special needs. She is knowledgeable about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and protections afforded parents and their students with special needs. Dr. Hodges has contributed to and supported Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 Accommodation Plans (504s). She has conducted assessments of children suspected of having an educational disability and understands the process for determining eligibility to receive special education services.
Dr. Hodges has worked with children who have developmental delays, autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, emotional and/or behavioral dysregulation, executive functioning difficulties, speech/language impairments, social challenges, medical conditions, genetic disorders, and various other needs. She has consulted with parents and educational staff regarding strategies for how to support student learning, academics, and social-emotional needs. Dr. Hodges has collaborated with parents, educators, and students to conduct Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and create Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) as appropriate to address specific behaviors of concern for children with and without disabilities.
Dr. Hodges has supported individual, small group, and school-wide instruction and practice targeting Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision-Making, identified in the research and characterized by the Collaboration for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) foundation as key for bolstering academic success, health, and wellness. The “CASEL 5” competencies help children and youth develop healthy identities, manage behavior and emotions, achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. To this end, Dr. Hodges has created, identified, and implemented evidence-based strategies and/or programs specifically targeting social interaction skills, flexibility, attention, impulse control, self-esteem, and coping strategies, among other skill areas.
Dr. Hodges received her Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of South Carolina. She interned at the former Georgetown Child Development Center (now the Center for Child and Human Development) and received additional post-doctoral training at Children’s National Medical Center, both located in Washington, D.C. Dr. Hodges has taught undergraduate courses in Education and Psychology. She has supervised or mentored numerous School Psychology practica students, interns, and colleagues throughout the years.
Given that Dr. Hodges has worked in schools on a military post, she has also provided educational experiences for various hospital-affiliated Behavioral Health professionals (Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Clinical Psychologists, Child Psychiatrists, and Psychiatry Fellows) to support their understanding of how schools incorporate Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) wellness practices, as well as to foster collaborative relationships between hospital and school clinicians who serve mutual clients.
Additionally, Dr. Hodges has presented on a variety of topics including intellectual assessment, evidence-based social-emotional learning practices, special education-related policies and procedures, self-harm, crisis intervention, and the unique experiences and needs of military-connected youth. Research pursuits have focused on intellectual assessment as well as parent perceptions of and participation in the special education decision-making process. Dr. Hodges serves on an editorial board, reviewing manuscripts submitted for consideration to be published in the American Psychological Association’s (APA) journal entitled “School Psychology.”
Dr. Hodges is a member of the Virginia Academy of School Psychologists (VASP) and National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). She is a former VASP School Psychologist of the Year award recipient (2021) and a former NASP School Psychologist of the Year nominee (2022). Dr. Hodges is a founding member of the Prince William County Schools Special Education Parent Teacher Association (PWCS SEPTA). She also continues to co-facilitate and contribute to the Fort Belvoir Garrison Process Action Team to Support Social-Emotional Learning in Military-Connected Youth (PAT-SEL-MCY).