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Pedro Olvera, Psy.D.

Program Director of School Psychology Department		 Phone: (626) 815-6000 Ext. 5124
Email: polvera@apu.edu
Pedro Olvera, is the Director of the School Psychology Program at APU. Prior to joining APU, Dr. Olvera was an experienced Bilingual School Psychologist for the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD). His expertise includes differentiating academic difficulties due to language acquisition versus learning disabilities. He has experience in the assessment of the following disorders: autism, emotional disturbance, ADHD, developmental disabilities, and other health factors which may contribute to a child’s learning problems. In addition, he serves as a Behavior Intervention Case Manager (BICM) conducting Functional Behavioral Analysis and Behavior Intervention Plans for children with severe behavior problems. Dr. Olvera has been a member of the SAUSD crisis team and has provided crisis counseling for students in situations that require crisis response. He is President of the Orange County Association of School Psychologists (OCASP) for the 2008-2009 years.

Education

Psy.D. - Alliant International University
M.A. - Azusa Pacific University
B.A. - San Diego Christian College

Credentials/Certifications
Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP)
Behavior Intervention Case Manager (BICM) - Orange County Department of Education.
Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale (ADOS)
Certified Instructor - Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (Crisis Prevention Institute)

Expertise

  • Bilingual Assessment
  • CHC: Cross Battery Assessment
  • Conducting Functional Behavioral Analysis and Behavior Intervention Plans

Courses Taught

EDCO 545 – Positive Behavior Supports and Classroom Intervention
EDCO 557 – Child and Adolescent Development and Learning
EDPY 633 – Multicultural and Bilingual Assessment and Intervention
EDPY 637 – Child Psychopathology: Assessment and Treatment

Professional/Scholarly Presentations

Presentations
Olvera, P. & Cerrillo-Gomez, L. (2009, March). A Bilingual (English & Spanish) Psychoeducational Assessment Model Grounded in Cattell-Horn Caroll (CHC) Theory: A Data Based Decision Making Approach to Conducting Comprehensive Bilingual Tier Three Assessments. Paper Presented at the annual meeting of the California Association of School Psychologists, Riverside, CA

Olvera, P. (2008, September). Learning About Parent And Student Rights To Facilitate A Successful IEP (Spanish). Fiesta Educativa, Annual Conference, Orange County, CA.

Olvera, P. (2008, June). La ayuda que puede ofrecer un psicólogo escolar a las familias con hijos que tienen epilepsia. (How a school psychologist can serve families of children with epilepsy). A Spanish in-service presented at Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) for the Orange County chapter of Epilepsy Alliance.

Hiramoto, J., Olvera, P., Olvera, V.I., & Hijo di Bari, D. (2008, March). CHC and PASS theories of cognitive ability and function: Irreconcilable difference or just in need of marriage counseling. Paper presentation at the California Association of School Psychologists (CASP) 2008 Convention, San Francisco, CA.

Olvera, P. & Silva, R. (2008, January). ¿Que es un psicólogo escolar? (What is a School Psychologist)? A Spanish in-service presented for the Orange County chapter of Fiesta Familiar, Santa Ana, CA.

Professional Involvement and Accomplishments

Associations, Boards, Committees
National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
California Association of School Psychologists (CASP)
Orange County Association of School Psychologists (OCASP)
International Association of Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (IANCI)
Special Interests and Activities
Research Activities - Pediatric Neurodevelopment Institute (PNI)

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