Neuropsychological, Psychological, & Educational Assessment Services

Dr. Kurtyka is a Licensed Independent Clinical Psychologist in the great State of New Mexico. He is a graduate of Rutgers University where he completed his undergraduate training in Psychology, and Fairleigh Dickinson University where he received his Masters degree and completed his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Kurtyka also completed an APA pre-doctoral internship in Pediatric Clinical Neuropsychology at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, as well as a two year post-doctoral fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology (NSNM/UNMH). Dr. Kurtyka has extensive experience spanning the last decade in providing comprehensive pediatric and adult clinical neuropsychological evaluation services, as well as psychotherapy, and professional consultation services. Dr. Kurtyka specializes in the clinical neurocognitive assessment of developmental disorders, AD/HD, learning disabilities, TBI, dementia, epilepsy, and complex genetic conditions. Additionally, Dr. Kurtyka has specialty training and experience in K-12 Special Education (Public and Private School settings, IEP Team meetings, parent/student advocacy), & College-level accommodations (i.e., Collegiate classroom and SAT, ACT, LSAT, MCAT accommodations), as well as civil forensic and IME evaluations (Symptom/Performance Validity Testing, post-traumatic cognitive decline, adaptive functioning & social/emotional impairment). Dr. Kurtyka also has research experience in developmental disabilities/intellectual disability, learning disabilities, AD/HD, cognitive assessment (i.e., test construction/design/validation), traumatic brain injury, and pre-morbid functioning.

Dr. Hile is a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of New Mexico. Dr. Hile grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico but completed her undergraduate training at DePauw University. She then returned to Albuquerque to attend the University of New Mexico, where she received her Masters degree, and completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Hile also completed an APA pre-doctoral internship in Pediatric Clinical Neuropsychology at UCLA. She completed a one-year postdoctoral fellowship at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital, where she specialized in both Pediatric Neuropsychology, as well as Pediatric Health Psychology. Dr. Hile then completed another one year fellowship at Southwest Neuropsychology and Behavioral Health, with an emphasis on pediatric neuropsychological assessment. Dr. Hile has received extensive clinical training in Pediatric Neuropsychology and Pediatric Health Psychology, focusing on chronic and acute illness/injury (i.e., cancer, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, epilepsy, TBI) and its impact on the developing brain. She has also received extensive training in the clinical neurocognitive assessment of neurodevelopmental disorders including AD/HD, learning disabilities, and intellectual disability. Dr. Hile also specializes in pediatric cancer research and the impact of cancer and cancer therapies (e.g., chemotherapy, radiation) on brain development and neurocognitive function. Dr. Hile is also involved in research examining how children recover after traumatic brain injury, as well as identifying factors that help predict favorable outcomes following TBI.

Prior to becoming an educational diagnostician, Dr. Wood worked as a first and second grade teacher with Albuquerque Public Schools for 17 years. She spent the majority of her teaching career teaming with the primary special education teacher, speech pathologist, and occupational therapist to build a robust primary, multiage inclusion program at her school. Dr. Wood’s work with the special education teachers and students, as well as her time spent co-chairing her school’s Student Assistance Team, naturally peaked her interest in educational diagnostics. She obtained her graduate certification in educational diagnosis from the University of New Mexico in the summer of 2019. During this time, Dr. Wood had the honor to work as Melissa Behrens-Blake’s educational diagnostic intern at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Wood is a licensed educational diagnostician and also a licensed Level III-A Instructional Leader/K-8 educator. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and psychology, a master’s degree in clinical psychology, and a doctorate degree in transformative studies, with a focus on education reform. She completed her doctorate work at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. Dr. Wood’s doctoral and postdoctoral research focused largely on the power of student agency in learning as well as investigating the effects of educational wounding on K-12 students. She believes strongly in student-centered teaching and assessment practices as well as client-centered evaluation.

Robyn has worked as a dual-licensed teacher with Albuquerque Public Schools for 23 years before becoming an educational diagnostician. She was a special education teacher in full-inclusion classrooms, as well as a general education teacher in a multi-age elementary classroom. Throughout her teaching career, Robyn specialized in literacy as a district Literacy Leader and Reading Interventionist. She received a Dyslexia teaching certification in 2010. She also achieved a National Board Certification in Literacy in 2011 and renewed her certification in 2022. Robyn was also trained in AddVantage Math and utilized this diagnostic tool to further advance numeracy development in her students. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education, two Level 3 teaching licenses, a TESOL endorsement for supporting English learners, and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. ​ Robyn continued her passion for supporting students and their families by pursuing an educational diagnostician’s certification. She was fortunate to intern both in the public school setting with Albuquerque Public Schools and the private setting with Melissa Behrens-Blake. Additionally, she worked as a diagnostician for APS’ Gifted Evaluation Team prior to joining the SNBH team. She has a Level 2 educational diagnostician license.