Arizona school psychologists honor ASU faculty member

The Arizona Association of School Psychologists (AASP) has selected Arizona State University’s Linda Caterino as the 2010 recipient of its Keith Perkins Lifetime Achievement Award. Caterino is coordinator of clinical placements and a clinical associate professor in the doctoral program in school psychology in ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College.

Criteria for the Keith Perkins Award include a demonstrated record of service to students, teachers, administrators, parents, community agencies, and the profession of school psychology.

“Receiving this award is one of the highlights of my professional career,” Caterino said. “It validates the faith that my students and community professionals have in my competence as a school psychologist.”

Caterino’s association with ASU dates to 1973, when she began work on her doctorate in school psychology. After completing her degree, she became the first school psychologist in the Tempe-based Kyrene School District. “At the time it was a very small rural district with only four schools. Due to its small size, we were able to develop innovative programs to help children,” she said.

Through the years Caterino has worked as a proponent of school psychology in various capacities, from school districts to hospitals and from private practice to university training programs. She began working at ASU as the training director in the school psychology program in 2005 and received Teachers College’s Service Award in 2007.

“Linda has committed her career to serving the needs of children and the community through service as a school psychologist, a licensed psychologist in private practice, and a trainer of school psychologists,” said Gailyn Garcia, chairwoman of AASP’s research subcommittee, who nominated Caterino for the Keith Perkins Award. “She is a respected, down-to-earth human being who genuinely cares for her fellow man and seeks to support those who come to her for help.

“Linda also was one of the first bilingual school psychologists in Arizona and served as a model for the practice of bilingual school psychology. She has written book chapters dedicated to the assessment of culturally and linguistically diverse students and continues to be an advocate for multicultural students and their families.”

Caterino currently serves as a consultant to a grant-funded project addressing mental health counseling in the schools. Among her duties are assisting in the development of a social skills program for children with autism, developing cognitive behavior therapy counseling programs for anxious children with a focus on Latinos, coordinating student participation, and developing evaluation procedures.

“Linda’s recognition from AASP is well-deserved and highlights one of the strengths of the faculty in Teachers College – the ability to bridge theory and practice for the benefit of our students,” said Mari Koerner, dean of Teachers College. “Students benefit not only from Linda’s caring attitude but from her years of experience and numerous professional affiliations.”

Caterino’s research interests include genetics and dyslexia, sleep disorders, autism, and bullying. She recently presented a paper comparing cyberbullying practices in the U. S. and Japan. Caterino has published numerous articles and book chapters and has made more than 80 professional presentations at national and state conferences. She has also served on the editorial boards of many professional journals, including School Psychology Review, Journal of School Psychology, Autism and Developmental Disorders, and PsychCritiques.

A few of Caterino’s many professional activities are serving as president and secretary of the American Academy of School Psychology, vice president of Division 16 of the American Psychological Association, executive board member of the Trainers of School Psychology, academic affairs representative for the Arizona Psychological Association, board member of the Arizona Training Consortium and founding  member of the Arizona Association of Play Therapy.

Information about ASU’s doctoral degree in school psychology may be found on the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College web site, http://education.asu.edu/.