Kathleen Armstrong, PhD, EdS, MEd
Dr. Armstrong joined the faculty at USF in 1998, bringing with her considerable clinical skills from her field experiences as a school psychologist. She is a licensed school and clinical psychologist, who has been honored by her professional society as Florida’s School Psychologist of the Year. Dr. Armstrong’s research interests focus on understanding and addressing developmental delays and disabilities. Her clinical role includes functioning as part of a multidisciplinary team that offers assessment, diagnosis and treatment to children with developmental disabilities and chronic conditions and support to their families. Dr. Armstrong’s work lead to the development of Helping Our Toddlers, Developing Our Children’s Skills (HOT DOCS), a parent training curriculum which offers caregivers evidence-based strategies to understand and address children’s everyday challenging behavior issues. HOT DOCS is now available and is offered in both English and Spanish.
Education & Training
| B.A. | University of Florida; Psychology/Mathematics, 1973 |
| M.Ed.. | University of Florida; Counselor Education, 1975 |
| Ed.S | University of Florida; Counselor Education/School Psychology, 1975 |
| Ph.D. | University of South Florida; Psychology (School), 1996 |
Scholarly Activity
- Positive behavioral interventions for children with chronic illnesses and/or disabilities
- The influence of positive psychology on early childhood development
- The role of sleep disorders on child development, behavior problems, and learning
Selected Publications
Armstrong, K., Hornbeck, M., Beam, B., Mack, K., & Popkave, K. (2006). Development, implementation, and evaluation of a model for supporting caregivers of young children with challenging behavior. Journal of Early Childhood and Infant Psychology, 2, 51-61.
Armstrong, K., Cusumano, D., Cohen, R., & Todd, M. (2008). Literacy training for early childhood providers: Changes in knowledge, beliefs, and instructional practices. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 29, 297-308.
Armstrong, K., Curtiss, H., Popkave, K., & Lilly, C. (2008). ABAS-II: Adaptive Behavior Assessment for Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. In Oakland, T., & Harrison, P. (Eds.). Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-II: Clinical Use and Interpretation (pp. 349-366). San Diego, CA: Elsevier, Inc.
Armstrong, K., Kohler, W., & Lilly. (in press). The young and the restless: A pediatrician’s guide to managing sleep problems. Contemporary Pediatrics.
Armstrong, K., Missall, K., & Shaffer, E. (in press). Positive Psychology: Promoting Positive Adaptation during the Early Childhood Years. In Gilman, R., Huebner, E., & Furlong, M. (Eds.). Handbook of Positive Psychology in the Schools.
Armstrong CV 
