About Me
With 22 wonderful years of marriage and the joy of raising four amazing children, my life has been a tapestry woven with love and shared adventures. Beyond the responsibilities of family life, I find solace and excitement in the great outdoors, particularly through the art of hiking and the thrill of travel. When I'm not exploring the world or nurturing my family, I often dive into the captivating world of Toni Morrison novels, finding her words both thought-provoking and profoundly moving. Another passion of mine is singing, although I must confess, my vocal talents don't quite match my enthusiasm. Nevertheless, I embrace each off-key note with a smile, as it adds its own unique melody to the soundtrack of my life.
My Credentials
Experience You Can Count On
School Psychologist
2018 - Present
As a school psychologist, I possess a diverse range of experiences acquired across various settings while working with students aged 2 to 18 years old. I have evaluated and assisted in the planning process for minimally and severely disabled students. My school psychologist role requires strong analytical skills, including interpreting data from assessments and the development of educational strategies that best work for students. I demonstrate strong consultation and communication skills to address a variety of school and education-related topics and situations. Drawing upon a wealth of diverse experiences, I possess a deep understanding of various educational environments, socio-economic contexts, and multicultural nuances, spanning from Title 1 schools to affluent districts. My adept collaboration skills extend to working seamlessly with professionals from various disciplines, including special education staff such as directors, educational diagnosticians, counselors, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and fellow LSSPs. Furthermore, I have cultivated robust professional relationships with administrators, principals, and other district personnel, who frequently seek my valuable insights and expertise.
Graduate Research Assistant- Texas Tech
2015-2017
During my tenure as a graduate research assistant, I actively contributed to the collection and analysis of data, engaged in collaborative efforts to develop presentations, and confidently presented our findings at various research conferences.
Bilingual Elementary Teacher
2006 - 2014
In my role as a classroom teacher, I designed customized lesson plans tailored to meet the diverse needs of English language learners in multiple subject areas, encompassing reading, math, science, and social studies. Moreover, I took proactive steps to develop both social-emotional and academic interventions, aimed at providing crucial support to students who were facing academic challenges.
Publications
Barnard-Brak, L., Richman, D. M., & Moreno, R. (2016). Predictors of elopement exhibited by school-aged children with special health care needs: Towards the development of a screening instrument for elopement. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 37, 543-554.
Barnard-Brak, L., Richman, D., Ellerbeck, K., & Moreno, R. (2017). Health care provider responses to initial parental reports of Autism Spectrum Disorder symptoms: Results from a nationally representative sample. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 22(1), 30-35.
Conference Presentations
Martinez, L., Roberts, B., Moreno, R. (2017, October). The Good Behavior Game. Presented at Texas Association of School Psychologist Conference (TASP). Dallas, TX
Aguirre-Munoz, Z., Pando, M., Moreno, R. (2017, February). Assessing Bilingual/ESL Teacher Beliefs and Content Knowledge: Implications for Bilingual/ESL Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE). Dallas, TX.
Aguirre-Munoz, Z., Panatoya, R., Moreno, R., Sankaranarayanan, A. (2016, April). Engineering literacy and engagement in the early years. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA). Washington, D.C.