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Welcome!
Heather Hodge founded Sunlight Developmental Evaluations to provide families with answers and solutions regarding their child’s development. She brings a unique perspective to the table, having worked extensively within public education for 14 years and journeying through the evaluation process with her own children. As a parent and educator, she knows firsthand the challenges faced in both the home and school setting, and her expertise lies in creating reasonable and effective recommendations for families and schools.
Heather specializes in gifted evaluations and understanding the unique needs of gifted populations. She has five years experience identifying gifted children and developing programming for this population in a regular school setting. She is skilled at spotting giftedness when other symptoms may be hindering its presence.
Heather is a licensed school psychologist (SSP), licensed professional counselor (LPC), and nationally certified school psychologist (NCSP). She received her bachelor of science degree in psychology (B.S. Psychology) from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania and her educational specialist degree in school psychology (EdS School Psychology) from Rider University in New Jersey. She has served as a board member for the Colorado Society of School Psychologist as the independence Practice Chair. She has played a role at the State level participating in the Colorado Department of Education's Mental Health Advisory Committee and Serious Emotional Disability Taskforce.
Heather lives in Arvada with her husband, two daughters, and dog. She enjoys snowboarding, trail running, reading, and spending time with her family.
Read on...
Heather's Story
After working in the public school system for over a decade, I gained substantial experience participating on multidisciplinary teams conducting comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations. I also reviewed private evaluations presented to the schools by parents. I recognized limitations of both. School-based teams are often faced with barriers to time and resources. Meanwhile, the private practitioners provided in-depth reports but often lacked input from the school, where a child spends a large majority of their time.
To bridge this gap, I decided to start my own practice. I use the time and resources needed to provide detailed evaluations while including perspectives from the home and school settings. I conduct a school observation which is one attribute that sets my services apart from most others. You can read more here about what makes Sunlight's services unique.
I am rewarded by the intimate relationships I build with families. And most importantly, I am rewarded when the families I work with leave our feedback sessions with clarity and hope for the future. I am happy to answer any questions your family may have before embarking on this journey. You may email me directly at heather@sunlightevaluation.com. You may also read Sunlight's Google reviews to see what other families experiences working me with have been like.
Mission
To provide clarity to families and equip them for next steps.
Vision
To empower individuals to claim the life of happiness and success they are entitled to.
Values
Optimism
We instill a sense of hope for the future by helping clients to accept any challenges or limitations and learn how to accommodate them.
Perseverance
Our recommendations are designed to encourage clients to keep trying in the face of difficulty and to view challenges as a surmountable obstacle that may even provide learning opportunities.
O
We instill a sense of hope for the future by helping clients to accept any challenges or limitations and learn how to accommodate them.
Integrity
We hold high expectations for ourselves and maintain integrity throughout the evaluation process.
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Why Choose Sunlight?
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I complete a school observation and receive input from teachers. Not all private evaluations examine functioning in the school setting, which is crucial for an accurate diagnosis.
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Having had 14 years working in the schools, I have a lot of experience with evaluations, but more importantly, with treatment and interventions following a diagnosis. I can see the road my clients will travel after the evaluation is complete and can provide insightful and appropriate recommendations.
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The evaluation process with me does not end with the feedback session. I offer support to parents in finding services based on my recommendations. I refer families to people whom I trust and have built a professional connection with. If those professionals are unavailable or are not a good fit, I do not leave families to their own devices. I continue to support you in finding the right professional for you.
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From start to finish, you will be working directly with me. There is no need to worry about information getting lost in communication or lags in responses trying to track down the correct person to speak to. I’ll get to know your family as best as I can throughout the entire process. I genuinely enjoy making this connection and truly feel rewarded by this.
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I offer a comprehensive giftedness evaluation that looks beyond IQ and achievement and explores other areas including art, creativity, and performance. That follows along with Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. We often talk about twice exceptional kids such as someone with autism who is gifted in math, but we miss so many opportunities to celebrate other gifts that aren't typically measured in an educational setting. Some kids may be learning disabled but may be gifted in music. It's exciting to identify these unique gifts.
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Virtual assessments are offered when in person appointments are not possible.
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I have a strong sense of integrity. It is one of my guiding values in life personally and professionally. I always want families to leave me feeling like there was value in my services and do what I can to make sure this happens.
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I offer a comprehensive giftedness evaluation that looks beyond IQ and achievement and explores other areas including art, creativity, and performance. That follows along with Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. We often talk about twice exceptional kids such as someone with autism who is gifted in math, but we miss so many opportunities to celebrate other gifts that aren't typically measured in an educational setting. Some kids may be learning disabled but may be gifted in music. It's exciting to identify these unique gifts.
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Virtual assessments are offered when in person appointments are not possible.
-
I have a strong sense of integrity. It is one of my guiding values in life personally and professionally. I always want families to leave me feeling like there was value in my services and do what I can to make sure this happens.
"They said he wouldn't, but he did. They said he couldn't, but he can. They said he won't, but he will."
~ Unknown
