Bio
Alex W. Wheatley is a native of Tennessee and a resident of Utah since 2011. He grew up loving sports, theatre, and film. Having participated in theatre in high school and community productions (actor, director, tech director, lighting and sound), he decided to make the arts a career. He worked as a master control and production operator for a news station in Kentucky, with aspirations of working on larger film and television productions. However, he left the station to devote two years of service to impoverished families. Upon returning from service, his desires and focus changed. He wanted to help individuals and families that traditionally did not get the help they needed. He settled on helping those with disabilities after doing extensive research into many fields. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Communication Disorders from Brigham Young University in 2013. After working with adults with developmental disabilities in day program settings, Alex decided to make a slight career shift. He went on to work as a case manager for those applying for social security disability, and earned a Master of Education in Special Education from the University of Idaho in 2016. Alex then worked as a substitute teacher before being hired as a literature support and functional literacy teacher for students in grades 7 & 8. Teaching did not fulfill him, as he thought it would. Working with school psychologists every week, including one that would become a mentor, he decided to take one more fork in the road. He went back to school to pursue a career in special education assessment, intervention, and mental health. Now, Alex is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP), working with kindergarten through post-high students. He specializes in transition planning and instruction, with other interests in assistive technology, video modeling, and interpersonal neurobiology (primarily eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy).
Resume At A Glance
Education
Brigham Young University: Education Specialist, School Psychology; 2018-2021
California State University at Northridge: Graduate Certificate, Assistive Technology Applications; 2017
University of Idaho: Master of Education, Special Education; 2015-2016
Brigham Young University: Bachelor of Science, Communication Disorders; 2011-2013
Specialties
Transition Planning & Services
IPNB Coping Strategies and Therapeutic Techniques in Schools
Research Interests
Transition
Video Modeling
EMDR Therapy
Trauma-Informed Care
Work
School Psychologist (2020-21 Intern; 2021-Present NCSP)
Research Assistant: 2018-2020
Special Education Teacher (mild-moderate; literature support and functional literacy; grades 7-8): 2017-2018
Case Manager (SSI; DIB): 2014-2015
Direct Support Professional: 2014