Dr. Nicholas G. Ward, PsyD

Assessment Experience

Dr. Ward has completed more than 250 ADOS-2 administrations across children, adolescents, and adults. His experience includes more than 100 administrations completed under direct supervision during advanced autism-assessment training, followed by more than 150 independent administrations.

Why This Work Matters to Me

Dr. Ward is a California-licensed psychologist and proud veteran of both the U.S. Army and law enforcement. He brings a distinctive perspective to his clinical work, shaped by more than two decades of combined experience in public safety, military, and mental health settings.

His interest in psychological assessment is professional, but it is also personal. Growing up, Dr. Ward experienced firsthand how unidentified ADHD and dyslexia can affect a student's relationship with school. Academic difficulties often led to frustration and underperformance. After receiving an appropriate diagnosis and treatment later in life, he developed a much clearer understanding of how he learned and of the factors that had contributed to years of difficulty in school.

His educational path was not a traditional one. After careers in the military and law enforcement, Dr. Ward returned to college later in life and ultimately earned his Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology from the College of Psychology at John F. Kennedy University. He completed an APA-accredited doctoral internship at Aurora Behavioral Healthcare in San Diego, where he worked with active-duty military service members in an inpatient treatment setting. Across his clinical training and career, he has worked in hospitals, schools, forensic programs, neurobehavioral settings, and outpatient care. At Catalight Care Services in Walnut Creek, Dr. Ward developed extensive experience conducting developmental and autism assessments for children.

These experiences strongly influence how he approaches assessment today. His goal is not simply to determine whether a diagnosis is present. He wants families to understand how their child thinks and learns, what may be interfering with success, what strengths may be overlooked, and what kinds of support may help the child move forward.

Dr. Ward also understands this process from the perspective of a parent. As a father of three sons, two of whom currently serve in the U.S. Army, he understands the demands of balancing family, work, responsibility, and personal well-being. He has also had firsthand experience navigating the school systems, seeking appropriate support for his own family, asking difficult questions about what a child may need, and trying to translate professional recommendations into practical decisions.

That perspective is one reason Dr. Ward believes psychological assessment should be both clinically rigorous and highly personal. Families should have direct access to the psychologist evaluating their child, understand the results they receive, and have support translating those findings into meaningful next steps at home, at school, and in treatment.

Before entering psychology, Dr. Ward served for more than a decade in the U.S. Army and in law enforcement. Those experiences exposed him to people from widely different backgrounds and to situations requiring clear judgment, adaptability, clear communication, and calm under pressure. They continue to shape his practical, direct, and collaborative approach to clinical care.

Whether he is helping a family understand a child's developmental or learning differences, assisting an adult seeking diagnostic clarity, or working with a first responder or veteran, Dr. Ward's approach is grounded in empathy, integrity, evidence-based practice, and clear, honest communication.