Children's Rights Expert Witnesses: 2

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Dr. Robert Evans, PhD, is a Licensed School Psychologist with over 30 years of experience in the behavioral sciences, including completing over 100 Child Custody Evaluations. Dr. Evans serves as a consultant to the medical, legal, and law enforcement community in Florida on Psychological and Educational matters. He consulted with Orange County Public Defender with cases involving arrest and incarceration of children, including Competency Assessments and Insanity Determinations. He has also provided Critical Incident Stress Debriefings to victims of crime in the Central Florida area.

Litigation Support - Dr. Evans specializes in Parental Alienation cases which are commonly among those classified as High Conflict Divorce cases and he has written a book on Parental Alienation. He provides litigation support to counsel for both Plaintiff and Defense. His services include support with hearing / trial preparations, review of current evaluations, and support during and after the litigation process.

Dr. Evans has given sworn testimony as a Forensic Psychology expert witness in NY, IL, PA, GA, FL, IA, ID, CO, OH, TX, TN, LA, MA, MD, MO, NC, SC, WA, and OR.

Areas of Expertise:

Parental Alienation
Child Custody Evaluations
False Allegations of Abuse
Treatment Considerations for Alienated Children

• Dr. Evans' Curriculum Vitae

• More About Dr. Evans

• Parental Alienation Videos

7/11/2021 · Psychology

Parental Alienation: Judge’s Dilemma - A Worldwide Concern

By: Robert A. Evans, PhD

With greater frequency, family law cases are showing up in which children are rejecting a parent. While there may be some situations where a child may be hesitant to be with a parent, these high conflict family law cases typically include outright rejection and severe expressions of hatred for a parent without genuine justifications.

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5/17/2021 · Child Welfare

Parental Alienation: Child Abuse? --- Reportable?

By: Robert A. Evans, PhD

Those of us who have been working within the field of Parental Alienation recognize that Parental Alienation is in fact a form of abuse. So, doesn’t it logically follow if the professional field recognizes Parental Alienation as child abuse then, by definition, it should be reportable to child protection and law enforcement organizations?

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The Essentials of Parental Alienation Syndrome: It's Real, It's Here and It Hurts

Robert A. Evans, PhD, et al

We are seeing an increase in high conflict, adversarial divorce cases in mental health practices and in the courtrooms around the country. These cases present with a significant amount of parental conflict and, as a consequence, represent a threat to the children caught in the middle of these conflicts. Curiously, there is a great commonality among these cases in terms of the tactics alienators use to separate a parent from his or her children. The purpose of this work is to share ideas, thoughts, background, theory and some experiences in working with high conflict families. It is important for professionals to get a sense of both sides of the Parental Alienation Syndrome issue.

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Dr. Erika Simmons’ work as a Certified Life Care Planner is distinguished by more than 20 Years of experience in Education, Special Education, and Educational Leadership, combined with doctoral-level training and real-world systems oversight. This background uniquely positions Dr. Simmons to serve as both a life care planning professional and a credible expert witness, particularly in cases involving children, adolescents, and young adults with educational, behavioral, and developmental needs.

As a former principal, district director, and adjunct professor in special education, Dr. Simmons brings an applied understanding of how services are designed, delivered, documented, and evaluated within public and private educational systems. This enables her to develop life care plans that are not only comprehensive, but realistic, evidence-based, and aligned with how supports are actually implemented in schools and related service environments.

Dr. Simmons’ expertise in IEP Development, Functional Behavior Assessments, MTSS, and Progress Monitoring allows her to clearly articulate educational and behavioral needs in a manner that withstands legal scrutiny. She is able to explain complex educational concepts, service delivery models, and future support needs in clear, accessible language for judges, juries, and attorneys—bridging the gap between educational practice and legal standards.

Areas of Expertise:

Forensic review of educational records, evaluation of IEP development and implementation, and analysis of progress monitoring practices to determine whether students were provided a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).
Examination of the legal and procedural integrity of Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA), Behavioral Intervention Plans, accommodations, and related services, assessing alignment with statutory requirements and established professional standards.

Having served in leadership roles responsible for compliance, program evaluation, and assessment at the district level, Dr. Simmons understands the legal and regulatory frameworks governing special education and related services. This perspective strengthens her expert testimony by grounding opinions in established standards, data-driven decision-making, and accepted professional practices.

In expert witness settings, Dr. Simmons is experienced in reviewing records, identifying service gaps, projecting future educational and functional needs, and supporting opinions with documentation, research, and professional standards. Her testimony reflects a balanced, objective approach rooted in professional experience, methodological rigor, and a clear understanding of the long-term educational and life impacts of injury or disability.

• Dr. Erika Simmons' Curriculum Vitae