Dr. Susan Hammond, a licensed psychologist, is the co-owner and co-clinical director of the Stixrud Group. She provides comprehensive evaluations for children, adolescents, and young adults.  Her assessment experience includes, but is not limited to, ADHD, executive dysfunction, language and learning disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and emotional and behavioral issues. Dr. Hammond views testing as simply the first step in a process of helping individuals succeed. Her discussions with students and their families focus on explaining not only diagnoses but, more importantly, on the real-life impacts of an individual’s strengths and challenges, and the unique ways in which these factors interact. She provides recommendations for the client, parents, school personnel, and other professionals, which typically cover school placement, any relevant academic remediation, supports, and accommodations, additional services/therapies, and strategies to use in the home. Those recommendations strive to harness the client’s strengths in the development of compensatory strategies for managing their challenges. Dr. Hammond also enjoys working with students’ educational teams. She is available to attend school meetings, including those which are part of the 504 or IEP process. While Dr. Hammond works with children and young adults with a wide variety of concerns, she has special interests in diagnosing twice-exceptional students (gifted with learning issues), whose strengths may mask their struggles, and in working with clients with severe emotional and behavioral issues, ranging from anxiety and depression to thought disorders.

Dr. Hammond was born and raised in Washington, DC. As a child, she attended both public and independent schools (John Eaton Elementary and Sidwell Friends). She has extensive knowledge of many of the educational options available to area families. Dr. Hammond views evaluations as combining detective work with storytelling; she collects information from testing and other sources, and integrates what she has learned into a coherent narrative about each individual with whom she works.

In addition to undertaking assessments, Dr. Hammond appreciates opportunities to speak to groups of parents and teachers, and to supervise and mentor other psychologists. She has served on the Board of Trustees of the Farm & Wilderness Camps in Plymouth, Vermont. Dr. Hammond is married and has two young adult sons and two dogs; she enjoys spending time with them, visiting Vermont, and reading.

Services & Expertise

• Comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations for children, adolescents, and young adults
• Assessment of a range of conditions, including ADHD, executive dysfunction, language and learning disorders, autism spectrum disorders, emotional and behavioral issues
• Interpretive sessions with parents and students
• Provision of relevant recommendations for parents, school personnel, and other professionals
• Attendance at school meetings, including educational team, 504, and IEP meetings
• Testimony at educational placement hearings
• Consultations
• Lectures to school and parent groups
• Supervision and peer mentorship of psychologists
• Expertise in assessment of twice exceptional (intellectually gifted/learning disabled) students and clients with severe emotional disorders

Education & Training

• Ph.D. in Child Clinical Psychology, University of Delaware
  • NIH Training Fellowship
• Externship Training – Terry Children’s Center, Wilmington, DE: Inpatient and Outpatient Programs
• APA-Accredited Internship, Commission on Mental Health Services, Washington, DC 
•  Member of the American Academy of Pediatric Neuropsychology 
• B.A. in History from Wellesley College, cum laude