School Psychologists and Related Personnel
The Professionals Hard at Work Helping Kids Learn Better
Elementary school is often the first time parents get feedback about their child’s learning abilities and capacities. It can, therefore, be the first time they consider what resources exist in the school to assist their child, should such help be required.
Parents who know their child has a particular difficulty will likely have researched the most appropriate school in advance. However, many learning difficulties do not truly manifest before grades 1 or 2 and, as a result, many parents find out about them well after their kids are enrolled.
There are typically several professionals in the educational system such as school psychologists, special education specialists, social workers, and behavioral integration aides who work as part of a student services team. These professionals provide psychological and psycho-educational assistance to students and their families in the community. The following represent just some of the key tasks they perform:
- They follow the guidelines and ethical principals as outlined in the Code of Ethics of Psychologists for service in an educational setting.
- They conduct psychological, educational, social, and emotional behavior functioning assessments in order to help identify student’s educational needs.
- They assist parents and school personnel in creating appropriate educational, socio-emotional, and behavior functioning goals for students with special needs.
- They provide supportive interventions or counseling to students and their families in the context of the learning environment with the goal of promoting the students academic and socio-emotional development.
- They make and facilitate appropriate referrals to outside agencies and professionals in the school and greater community if considered necessary.
- They support student growth by communicating and sharing relevant psychological and educational information with other professionals or agencies that become involved with the student
- They make themselves available for crisis intervention with students and school staff in the event that a crisis or trauma occurs.
- They develop and provide appropriate and relevant professional development to school staff on psychological and educational issues
- They provide peer support and consult with other student services professionals on the team regarding the more challenging cases to be managed.
- They provide feedback to administrators regarding issues or concerns that may arise while fulfilling roles and responsibilities in order to promote best psychological or psycho-educational practices in the school community.
Although most private and public schools do their best to have psychological resources, not all are funded equally. The only way to be certain of the resources in a given school is to research that school and its school board well in advance of sending your child.
For additional readings on in child psychology, please see:
Children and Behavioral Problems
