School Psychologist
Van Dyke Public Schools
What Is a School
Psychologist?
The School
Psychologist provides psychological services to children in
the school setting. The psychologist will usually serve on
child study teams, special education certification (MET) and
placement (IEPT) meetings, complete psycho-educational
testing of referred students, and provide individual and
group counseling services when appropriate. School
Psychologists often provide consultation to parents,
classroom teachers and other school staff, and outside
professionals regarding students’ learning and behavioral
issues.
School Psychologists
are usually licensed to practice both in the schools and in
clinics and hospitals. Some School Psychologists maintain
private practice. School Psychologists in private practice
will typically specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of
childhood problems, including but not limited to Attention
Deficit Disorders, Learning Disabilities, Oppositional
Defiant and Conduct Disorders, Anxiety, Depression, and
Autistic Impairments.
The academic and
field training of the School Psychologist, enables this
professional to provide expert consultation or direct
services in many areas of education, including but not
limited to the following:
1. Special
Education Evaluation in the areas of:
Autistic Impairment
Cognitive Impairment
Emotional Impairment
Early Developmental Delay
Learning Disabilities
Traumatic Brain Injury
2. Learning
and Behavioral Consultation to Parents, Teachers and Other
School Staff, and Outside Professionals
3. Direct
Individual or Group Intervention/Counseling
4. Providing
Inservices to School Staff in Diverse Topics such as Child
Development, Childhood Disorders, Individual Differences,
Assessment, Contemporary Research, Section 504, Behavior
Management, etc.
5. Section
504 Assessment/Consultation/Intervention in such areas as:
Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
Conduct Disorder (CD)
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Anxiety
Depression
6. Active
Research
Doctoral-level psychologists
possess the knowledge and expertise needed for developing
and coordinating ongoing research protocols.
7.
Supervision of Intern Students
State-certified School
Psychologists often supervise masters degree students in
school psychology.
8.
Participating in:
Child Study Team Meetings
Multidisciplinary Evaluation
Team Meetings
Individual Educational
Planning Team Meetings
School Improvement, Crisis
Team, and Other building-level meetings as needed.
How Is a School
Psychologist Trained?
School Psychologists
receive academic and field training in psychology and
education. They are licensed by their respective State
Board of Education. School Psychology training programs
usually involve two years of full-time graduate study at an
accredited university, with coursework in the areas of child
development, learning and behavioral theory, assessment,
psychopathology, law and ethics, research methodology, and
psychotherapy. A thesis paper is usually required, in
addition to internships in both school and clinical
settings.
Some School
Psychologists have attained a doctorate (Ph.D., Ed.D. or
Psy.D.) in Educational Psychology, Clinical Psychology, or a
combined educational-clinical program. Doctoral,
practitioner programs in psychology usually involve more
advanced coursework in the areas of development and
psychopathology, in addition to inferential statistics and
research methodology. A predoctoral internship is usually
required, in addition to the doctoral dissertation. The
doctoral dissertation is an original research project,
approved by the student’s dissertation committee, which must
be publicly presented and defended in order for the doctoral
degree to be granted by the university. Doctoral-level
psychologists must complete a two year, full-time
postdoctoral internship in order to take the board exam for
full licensure. The length of time to complete a
scientist-practitioner doctoral program in psychology is
typically three to four years of full-time study beyond the
masters degree.
The advanced training
of School Psychologists, in particular those who obtain the
doctorate, also qualifies these professionals to teach
undergraduate or graduate courses at a college or university.
How Do I Contact My
School Psychologist?
Since most School Psychologists travel to
multiple school buildings, the School Psychologist who
services your child’s school will not likely be there every
day of the week. One way to contact your child’s School
Psychologist is to contact ask the School Secretary for
his/her name and phone number. If you wish to meet
personally with the School Psychologist to discuss any
concerns you may have about your child, it may be necessary
to schedule a meeting in advance. Another way to contact
the School Psychologist is to call your school district’s
Special Education/Special Services Department. You may be
able to obtain the person’s weekly schedule and phone
numbers to each school building.
Frequently Asked
Questions
What type of degree does a
School Psychologist have?
All School Psychologists
have at least a Masters Degree, as the Masters Degree is
required for entry into the field. Common Masters Degrees
are the Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of Science (M.S.), and
Master in Education (M.Ed.). All School Psychologists must
have a specialization in School Psychology, with specific
coursework completed for licensure in their state. Some
School Psychologists have the Doctorate. Typical Doctoral
degrees are the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Education
Doctorate (Ed.D.), and Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D). Some
Ph.D. and Ed.D. School Psychologists did not specialize in
school or educational psychology for their doctorate but
rather, obtained the doctorate in other areas of study.
Does a School
Psychologist provide therapy?
School Psychologists are
fully qualified to provide the full range of therapeutic
services to children, adolescents, and adults. In most
school districts today, the primary role of the School
Psychologist continues to be conducting evaluations of
children for determining special education eligibility. The
provision of individual or group therapeutic services is
dependent upon the School Psychologist’s testing
responsibilities. Extended, individual psychotherapy is not
typically appropriate in the schools, but rather, should be
pursued at an outside clinic or hospital. However, some
children may experience problems which should be addressed
by the school psychologist (or School Social Worker) through
short-term counseling sessions. This would require consent
from the parent(s)/guardian(s), and would ultimately involve
a referral to a mental health agency. Such problems may
include:
- Suicidal Ideation or Attempt
- Severe Depression
- Severe Anxiety
- School Violence
What is the
difference between a School Psychologist and a School Social
Worker?
School Psychologists are
trained in the scientist-practitioner method, which utilizes
standardized testing and statistical and medical models of
psychopathology. School Social Workers are trained in
sociological models of pathology, which emphasize the role
of family, peer, and other societal influences on mental
health. The roles of the School Psychologist and School
Social Worker often overlap; both are qualified to provide
individual counseling, group services, and crisis
intervention to children and adults. Both individuals
conduct evaluations, however, School Social Workers are not
qualified to administer certain types of standardized tests,
such as tests which measure cognitive (intellectual)
functioning. Social Work evaluations usually involve
information about the child’s medical, family, and
educational history. These evaluations are especially
relevant to the assessment of Emotional Impairment and
Autistic Impairment. The School Psychologist is also
involved in these assessments, providing standardized,
individual testing information, norm-referenced rating scale
results, and observational data. Information from these two
professionals, in addition to that provided by the parent(s),
teacher(s), and other staff completes a very comprehensive
picture of the child.
Does the
School Psychologist test for ADHD?
First, it must be stated
that there continues to be no single test for determining
the presence or absence of ADHD. There is no universally
accepted "gold standard" for the assessment of this
disorder. There are, however, certain procedures which
should be completed whenever a student, who shows ADHD
behaviors, is having difficulties in school. The School
Psychologist should be involved in these procedures.
Depending on the individual case, the School Psychologist
can provide the following:
-
Norm-referenced
behavior rating scales to the child’s teacher(s) and/or
parent(s)
-
Classroom Observations
-
Consultation with the
child’s teacher(s) and/or parent(s)
-
Individual testing
when appropriate
-
Review of existing
data (e.g., medical, family, educational)
It is important for
parents to remember that a child MUST be having significant
difficulties in school in order for any school staff to
initiate any type of evaluation for ADHD.
What kinds of
tests does a School Psychologist typically give?
There is a wide variety of
tests administered by a School Psychologist. The kinds of
tests administered to a child depends on the nature of the
difficulties the child is experiencing in school. A typical
evaluation for a student who is having academic difficulties
will include tests of verbal and nonverbal cognitive
abilities, visual perception, fine motor coordination,
visual-motor integration, and academic achievement. Areas of
academic achievement include basic reading, reading
comprehension, math calculation, math reasoning, and written
expression. If the School Psychologist suspects that the
child may be Cognitively Impaired, an adaptive behavior
scale may be completed. These scales measure adaptive
functioning in the areas of communication, daily living,
socialization, self-care, and academics. Rating scales,
which are usually completed by the child’s parent(s) or
teacher(s), can assess a wide variety of skills and/or
behaviors. For example, if a child may be depressed, a
specific scale which assesses the severity of depressive
symptomatology can be completed.
Please refer to other pages on this website for more
information regarding the types of tests School
Psychologists administer.
What is the
difference between a Psychologist and a Psychiatrist?
Laypersons frequently
confuse Psychologists with Psychiatrists. The major
difference between these two professionals is that
Psychiatrists have either an M.D. or a D.O., and are
qualified to prescribe medication for psychiatric
disturbances. After medical school, Psychiatrists typically
train for 3 to 5 years in a residency program, which
utilizes the medical model for the diagnosis and treatment
of mental disorders. Psychiatrists may provide individual
therapy, depending upon the setting in which they work. Most
psychiatrists are engaged in medication monitoring of
patients. Psychiatrists typically do not conduct
psycho-educational evaluations; they refer their patients to
a Psychologist for this information. Currently,
Psychologists do not prescribe medication; with the
exception of this function, the roles of Psychologists and
Psychiatrists in a hospital/clinical setting are very
similar. Very few school districts have Psychiatrists on
staff, however, many Intermediate School Districts offer
Psychiatric Consultations for children with severe emotional
problems.
How do I find
information on how to become a School Psychologist?
The websites at the end of
this page provide useful information and additional links to
programs in School Psychology. Michigan School Psychology
programs are currently offered at most of the state’s larger
universities.
Weblinks
