"Every personal and professional experience has taught me how resilient children can become with adequate care and support, and CHKD's mission and dedication to children has strengthened my desire to be part of this amazing community of providers. I am delighted to be part of their accelerated and structured growth to meet the mental health needs of the children in our care."
Virginia Ramos Matias, PhD
Practice
Education
Doctorate: University of Utah
Bio
Virginia Ramos Matias, PhD, is a clinical psychologist with a strong background in school psychology.
Dr. Ramos' primary focus for the last three years has been neurodevelopmental disorders, specifically autism and ADHD, and co-occurring conditions like anxiety, depression, and trauma-related disorders.
She completed her master's and doctorate degrees at the University of Utah while working full time as a school psychologist. Dr. Ramos believes that providing children and families with culturally sensitive education, treatment, and support is essential for children’s mental health.
Dr. Ramos grew up in Puerto Rico and her gracious and welcoming personality help put parents and children at ease. She is passionate about working with culturally diverse clients, and facilitating the warmth and relief felt when working with people of similar cultural experiences and native language.
Dr. Ramos loves arts and crafts, particularly crocheting and jewelry making, playing with her two dogs and spending time with family and friends. She became interested in the mental health of children at a young age as she was the main sitter for her cousins, and ultimately their confidant, a characteristic common in her friendships as well.
Serving as a summer camp counselor for children with autism and developmental delays in high school affirmed her desire to become a child psychologist.
Clinical Interests
- Psychological and Psychoeducational Assessment
- Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD
- Bilingual (Spanish/English) Assessment, Treatment and Consultation
- School Psychology
Publications
Ramos Matias, V. (2017). The Electronic Check-Out program: A school based note program to improve on-task behavior (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. University of Utah, Salt Lake City.
Jenson, W. R., Sprick, J., Coughlin, C., Clark, E., & Bowen, J. (2017). Functional Behavior Assessment of Bullying (B. Howard, V. Ramos Matias, J. Weeks, M. Thacker, H. Majszak, & C. Pflieger, Contrib.). Eugene, OR: Pacific Northwest Publishing.
Olympia, D.O., Tuesday-Heathfield, L., Jenson, W.R., Majszak, H. S., Ramos-Matias, V.M., Thacker, M. (2013). Positive psychology and children with emotional disabilities. In M.L. Wehmeyer (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology and Disability. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
