Melissa is a Licensed Psychological Associate (LPA) and licensed as a school psychologist
through the Department of Instruction. She has worked as an assistant teacher in intensive
intervention autism classrooms that utilized the TEACCH model and as a school psychologist in
western North Carolina. While working as a school psychologist, Melissa collaborated closely
with teachers, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, administrators, and
families on assessments and interventions for students aged three to 21. She also completed
training through the Depart of Instruction to assess student who experienced a traumatic brain
injury. After 14 years in the field of school psychology, Melissa has returned to school to earn
her doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology. She hopes to transition to the clinical setting to
provide mental health services across the life span with an emphasis on autism and intellectual
disabilities.