Kristan Melo
Kristan Melo, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist who provides comprehensive neurodevelopmental and learning disability evaluations for children and adolescents. She has extensive experience assessing autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, and related executive functioning, emotional, and behavioral differences.
Dr. Melo is committed to nondiscriminatory, culturally responsive assessment practices. She approaches evaluation with an understanding that standardized measures do not exist in a vacuum and that developmental history, environment, identity, and access to supports all matter. Her goal is to ensure that assessments are fair, thoughtful, and truly reflective of a child’s abilities and needs, not shaped by bias or narrow definitions of “typical” development.
Dr. Melo earned her PsyD in School Psychology with a Bilingual Extension from St. John’s University, where she was trained by leading experts in the field of nondiscriminatory and cross-battery assessment. She also served as adjunct Associate Professor in the St. John’s School Psychology PsyD program, where she trained doctoral students in ethical, developmentally informed, and evidence-based assessment practices.
Prior to private practice, Dr. Melo worked in school-based settings as a school psychologist for nearly a decade, collaborating closely with educators, families, and multidisciplinary teams. She has extensive knowledge of special education systems and is skilled in translating evaluation findings into practical, school-relevant recommendations that support IEPs, 504 plans, and educational decision-making.
Dr. Melo brings a neurodiversity-affirming, developmentally informed approach to assessment. She views evaluations not as a process of finding what’s wrong, but as a way to better understand how a child’s brain works, highlighting both strengths and areas where support may be helpful. Her goal is to provide families with clear, practical, and respectful feedback that can meaningfully guide next steps.
Dr. Melo welcomes families who are seeking clarity and understanding around their child’s learning or development, and approaches the evaluation process with care, transparency, and respect. She strives to ensure families leave the evaluation process feeling informed, supported, and confident in their next steps.
