Jessica Vest

Many people consider me fortunate, because I have found my passion early in life, which is truly invaluable. My passion was discovered and firmly planted by being exposed to a vast array of learning experiences. I have worked as a substitute teacher at a school for children living in poverty, as an intensive early intervention instructional therapist working with autistic children, and as a resource consultant charged with training parents to implement positive behavior modification strategies so that their children, our future society, can learn appropriate behaviors that most of us take for granted, such as social skills and following instructions. I have the privilege of helping children and families improve their lives and their futures; this is immeasurable payment.
My interest in Psychology has led me to complete my B.A. in Psychology with a concentration in Developmental Psychology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. My undergraduate experiences fostered my love of and dedication to child development, and provided the necessary tools to pursue my goals. I wish to advance my core knowledge in Psychology by learning about individual differences, educational psychology, child and clinical psychology, human learning, developmental psychology, and analysis of behavior. Second, I would like to work with children in a variety of educational situations, such as those in need of special education classes and those in talented and gifted programs. Third, I believe providing psychological services and knowledge to the entire family system is essential to supporting the development of children.
Throughout both my motherhood and work experiences, I have learned that a child's progress depends on the home environment and the academic environment equally. The academic environment includes all personnel that are in direct or indirect contact with children at the school. In order to benefit the children’s learning experience the personnel need to utilize skills and trainings to determine the best course of action for the children. Unfortunately, many times, the knowledge and communication amongst school personnel is not shared, as it should be. I would like to be involved in helping to facilitate this necessary interaction between disciplines for the sake of providing the best educational experience for the child that is possible. My areas of interest are in positive behavior management; including behavior and therapeutic interventi