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Gladys Rodriguez
About
Hello! My name is Gladys Rodriguez, and I am a bilingual (Spanish/English) licensed psychologist in the states of Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, and Tennessee. I grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico and have lived, worked, and studied in various parts of the United States, including Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and Virginia. I began my professional journey as an elementary school teaching neurotypical children along with neurodiverse students. My desire to create a more neuro-affirming environment and understand the way neurodiverse individuals think motivated me to pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology. Being a psychologist has given me the opportunity to further develop my expertise in autism through continued education and extensive work experiences, mainly conducting psychological assessments both virtually and in-person.
During the past 10 years I have been doing psychological assessments. The vast majority of these assessments have helped autistic individuals and their families understand the reason behind their social, cognitive and emotional difficulties, switching from a self-blame cycle to a cycle that embraces growth, self-compassion, and acceptance.
I believe assessments should not only provide an explanation for the way individuals feel and behave; they should also empower individuals to think differently about themselves, to be more compassionate, patient, and proud of who they are. This is the way I approach the assessment process.
