USA school psychologists are described with regard to their employer, gender, age, race, professional membership, highest degree, title, certification and licensure. The role and function of school-based psychologists is then discussed in relation to recent changes, psychologist-student ratio, referral services used and student ethnicity. This is followed by consideration of the special education legislation and court decisions that have influenced the role of USA school psychologists.
psychology and special education are professions that have been shaped by similar forces. They both began because of the concern for children and youth who were not succeeding in the regular school programs. They developed as they grappled with the issues of whom to refer, how to evaluate each individual child or youth, how to develop appropriate programs, and how to evaluate the effectiveness of the programs.Over the last dozen years, both special education and school psychology increasingly have been influenced by litigation and legislation dealing with children and youth with special needs. Issues related to testing and special education placement have been primary concerns (Monroe 1979). These external forces have been matched by internal forces to revamp standards such as ethics, training, credentialing, and accreditation (American Psychological Association 1977, National Association of School Psychologists 1978).In this paper, the focus will be on how the role of school psychologists is being influenced by litigation and legislation and how school psychology is taking a careful look at its professional standards.
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY ROLE AND STATUSSchool psychology has its roots in both psychology and education. Psychological theories of human learning and development are particularly applicable to the education setting. Knowledge of curriculum theories and educational and counseling practices are crucial for the success of a school psychologist. Both of "Psychological services" include (i) Administering psychological and educational tests, and other assessment procedures; (ii) Interpreting assessment results; (iii) Obtaining,integrating and interpreting information about child behavior and conditions relating to learning; (iv) Consulting with other staff members in planning school programs to meet the special needs of children as indicated by psychological tests, interviews, and behavioral evaluations; and (v) Planning and managing a program of psychological services, including psychological counseling for children and parents.
Children with special needs should be identified before they fail. This preventive approach includes identifying children with potential problems, assessing their specific strengths and weaknesses, and developing appropriate interventions where needed. Until recently, preventive actions were started primarily at the elementary level, especially for reading disabilities. Since 1960 there has been an increasing emphasis on preschool preventive programs. The purpose of this paper is to delineate key elements of a preschool program that could lead to the prevention of academic failure. Since judicial and legislative decisions have influenced the shape of preschool programs, this paper first presents an overview of the legal history, and then describes the program elements of an effective preschool program for handicapped children.
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