Early intervention for handicapped children: Efficacy issues and data for school psychologists

Providing early intervention services for handicapped children is a relatively new endeavor for school psychologists. Because of the recency of this activity, most school psychologists have not received formal training—yet are providing evaluation and intervention services to preschool children. It is necessary that school psychologists fully understand the efficacy issues and data pertinent to this service to benefit preschoolers and provide accountability data for this service. This article presents the major efficacy issues and the subsequent research data on early intervention for young handicapped children.     

Comprehensive school-linked services: Implications for school psychologists

This article reviews the primary concepts underlying the current movement toward the provision of comprehensive school-linked services for children and families in low-income communities and the implications of this movement for school psychologists. The development of collaborative partnerships involving schools, public, and community-based agencies is an attempt to increase the availability and accessibility of needed services to children and families. The adoption of collaborative governance and a case management system is intended to offer an alternative to the proliferation of separate categorical programs and the associated lack of coordination among programs. The hope is to emphasize prevention and efficient early intervention. Collaborative efforts can provide an opportunity for role expansion among school psychologists. This possibility is discussed within a consultation model of service delivery that is consistent with the collaborative nature of school-linked services and with the preventive stance that orginated them. School psychologists are in a position to contribute to team consultation, case management, and needs assessment. Implications for training are drawn.     

Opportunities for school psychologists in rural school settings

Rural school psychologists from California, Georgia, Indiana, and Iowa were mailed questionnaires asking them to describe the advantages of practicing school psychology in rural school settings. Three main clusters of responses emerged, including: close contact and good working relationships with teachers, administrators, and parents; role diversity and autonomy; and positive environmental context. Levels of job satisfaction also were investigated. A total of 59% of the psychologists reported high or very high job satisfaction, while 33% reported an average level of satisfaction, and only 8% reported a low level of satisfaction.     

Participation of psychologists in multidisciplinary team evaluations

State implementation plans required by PL 94–142 were collected and reviewed to determine whether psychologists were mentioned as appropriate members of multidisciplinary evaluation teams. Questionnaire data from 625 directors of special education also were analyzed to determine the frequency with which psychologists actually participated on the evaluation teams. The review revealed an apparent reluctance on the part of states to specify psychologists as appropriate team members. When psychologists were mentioned, school psychologists and other types of psychologists were identified with near equal frequencies. Even though states' implementation guidelines infrequently identified psychologists for participation on multidisciplinary teams, 81% of the surveyed teams actually included a psychologist. However, psychologists' rate of participation varied among the states. Implications of the minimum state requirements and varying participation of psychologists among states are discussed.     

Self-instruction training: A potential tool for school psychologists

Self-instruction training is a cognitive-behavioral approach to self-control in which children are taught to use covert speech to modify their own behavior. The potential effectiveness of self-instruction training as an intervention technique for school psychologists to enhance student academic and/or social behavior in the classroom is the focus of this review. Research results addressing the practical issues of how, when, and with whom to use this strategy, its generalizability, and its long-term and comparative effectiveness are presented. Implications for further research in the schools are discussed.     

Family therapy: A case for training for school psychologists

This article presents both a rationale and methodology for family involvement by school personnel and underscores the need for school psychology training programs to respond programmatically to the training of their students in understanding and working with families. A family systems approach is adopted by the authors and is presented in the form of key questions concerning some important family dynamics. Five applications of this framework in the school setting are discussed.     

Functions for school psychologists in community colleges

School psychologists are trained as developmental specialists. There is a tendency to assume that they function only in the K-12 educational system. In this paper, school psychology is presented as a viable resource for service to special needs students in a postsecondary setting, including those in the community college system. Student, teacher, and administrator perceptions of educational needs are examined, and the argument is made that no one professional in the community college currently meets all the needs discussed.     

Attitudes and mainstreaming: A literature review for school psychologists

“Mainstreaming” legislation requires that special needs students participate in regular classroom activities to the extent possible. Studies indicate, however, that, neither parents, peers, nor professionals may be expected to hold positive attitudes toward these students or be competent providers of positive growth experiences. Existing evidence supports the need for comprehensive training programs for these groups which provide an interface between their experiences with special needs students and an introduction to new knowledge. School psychologists should assume a leadership role in development and implementation.     

Gifted education policy and advocacy: Perspectives for school psychologists

Education laws and policies serve to guide the way programs and services are implemented in schools. The transition from law or policy to implementation can be fraught with complications that impact the education system across many levels. According to Viennet and Pont (2017), one of the areas that can either hinder or support the transition from policy to practice is “inclusive stakeholder engagement” (p. 3). School psychologists are an important stakeholder in the education system thus they should have familiarity with gifted education policy to ensure students are being served appropriately—both academically and socio-emotionally. This article will introduce school psychologists to (a) federal and state laws impacting gifted students, (b) the role litigation, due process, and research has in shaping policy, and (c) relevant gifted education policy considerations.     

Curriculum and instruction for the gifted: The role of school psychologists

This paper explores the school psychologist's role in the academic and psychosocial development of students identified as gifted and talented via curriculum. Given the school psychologists' assessment expertize, they can inform the identification to service placement process for students, including advocacy for curricular and instructional opportunities that best meet the student's needs. We discuss modern conceptualizations of giftedness and talent development, the function of curriculum and instruction in meeting the needs of students who are gifted and the school psychologist's role in identifying which curricular adaptations are appropriate for students based on learner data. We also discuss how a school psychologist can work with educators to support the needs of twice exceptional learners and gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning students and recommend professional learning opportunities for school psychologists to remain abreast of current issues in gifted education.     

On the personal growth of school psychologists

Trainers of school psychologists in the United States were surveyed to assess the importance they ascribe to personal growth and interpersonal effectiveness of their trainees. Although results suggest that such qualities are essential for competent practice, the identity of these characteristics, their emphasis in training, and methods of evaluation vary greatly. Trainers and practitioners are challenged to clarify the personal qualities desired in the practice of school psychology and to demonstrate them through example.     

Factitious disorder in school settings: A case example with implications for school psychologists

Factitious disorder is a condition that has received considerable attention in the medical literature yet is not fully recognized in the school setting. School psychologists can provide important data and observations that can facilitate early identification of this disorder. This article describes a case example of factitious disorder that was identified in the school setting. Symptoms of the disorder are presented, as are the differential diagnoses that must be considered. Specific recommendations for the school psychologist regarding identification, coordination with medical teams, interventions, and ethical and legal obligations are included. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The preparation of school psychologists for crisis intervention

School psychologists (N = 276, 81% return rate) were surveyed regarding the following aspects of crisis intervention: (a) university preparation, (b) continuing professional development, and (c) current involvement with school crisis plans and crisis teams. Of those receiving university training, 58% believed they were minimally prepared or not at all prepared to deal with school crises. Only 2% reported being well prepared or very well prepared. Data analyses indicated increased university training in recent years, particularly with practicum/internship experiences related to crisis intervention. Approximately 81% of school psychologists participated in local training for crisis intervention as part of continuing professional development. Although 91% of school psychologists worked in districts with crisis plans in place, only 53% participated on crisis teams. Suicide, violence, and school district crisis plans were recommended as high priority topics for future academic training. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The multiplier effect: A strategy for the continuing education of school psychologists

Twenty-two school psychologists participated in a year long institute designed to test the use of a multiplier effect in the continuing professional development of school psychologists in Michigan. Participants, representing 12 geographic regions, attended six days of in-service meetings on the topics of behavior modification strategies, models of continuing education, affective education, life-space interviewing and consultation strategies. Participants were then responsible for conducting two, one-day workshops in their regions on topics discussed in the institute. The impact of the intervention model was evaluated using personal interviews, questionnaires and tape recordings. Results indicated that 550 school psychologists attended two in-service meetings with generally favorable reactions. Specific evaluative data, conclusions and suggestions for modification of future models are presented.     

Serving the gifted: A national survey of school psychologists

Gifted students are among the most underserved population in American schools and are some of the most underperforming in the world, ranking last in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Algebra, and Geometry among 13 other developed countries. To improve services for the gifted, possible gaps in training and service delivery must be identified. There is a lack of research addressing many of the practical aspects of the delivery of services to the gifted. There is also a lack of research examining how well school psychologists are prepared to provide services to gifted and talented students. We conducted a national survey of school psychologists to evaluate the amount of time school psychologists allocate for gifted assessment and consultation. We also collected information about graduate school and professional development on gifted topics, familiarity with prominent figures in the gifted field, and gifted assessment methods. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

德国学校心理学家面临的教育挑战与应对策略

学校心理学是德国应用心理学的重要分支,其发展面临着前所未有的挑战.德国学校心理学家是公共教育事业和教育培训事业的协同设计者,具备一致的职业形象.德国职业心理学家协会正在积极应对学校心理学的发展危机,为学校心理学家寻求专业化发展之路.     

Attitudes and learning disabilities: A literature review for school psychologists

Most LD students spend the major part of the school day within the regular classroom. Research, however, supports the rejected status of these students. The purpose of this presentation is to: (a) review research pertaining to the feelings professionals and peers have about learning disabled students, and (b) review those factors that may be important for consideration when attempting to modify these perceptions. School psychologists should address the attitudinal issues with a knowledge and basic conceptualization of various strategies that may be utilized to initiate attitude modification programs.