Elizabeth I. Shands, Ph.D.
Post-doctoral Fellow in School Psychology

Dr. Shands was born in Greenville but grew up in Sumter, SC. She graduated from Furman University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education. Following graduation, she taught 5th grade in Sumter, SC for one year before enrolling as a doctoral student at the University of Memphis. During graduate school, Dr. Shands completed practicums and research in diverse settings including the Psychological Service Center (a university-based community psychological treatment and assessment center), Head Start, and Memphis City Schools while gaining experience across the life span in assessment, intervention development, counseling, and consultation. She became interested in working with individuals with developmental disabilities including autism spectrum disorders while completing a year long traineeship at the University of Tennessee Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities in Memphis, TN. Dr. Shands earned her Master of Science degree and was awarded the Ballard Award for Outstanding Graduate Student by the Tennessee Association of School Psychologists in 2006.

Dr. Shands completed an APA-accredited pre-doctoral internship with Psychological Services of Lewisville Independent School District in Texas and received her PhD in August of 2008. She moved to Greenville, SC in July of 2008 to complete a post-doctoral fellowship with the Speech, Hearing, and Learning Center. Dr. Shand’s professional interests include evaluation of learning disorders, attention problems, and developmental disabilities. She has served on the national Board of Directors of the Council for Exceptional Children and is a member of the National Association of School Psychologists.

Personally, Dr. Shands enjoys spending time with her husband and dog. Her hobbies include camping, hiking, swimming, and watching college basketball.