What Do School Psychologists Do?
School psychologists tailor their services to the particular needs of each
child and each situation. School psychologists use many different approaches,
but most provide these core services:
Consultation
- give healthy and effective
alternatives to teachers, parents, and administrators about problems in
learning and behavior
- help others understand child
development and how it affects learning and behavior
- strengthen working
relationships between educators, parents and community services
Assessment — use a wide variety of techniques at an
individual, group, and systems level to evaluate:
- academic skills
- learning aptitudes
- personality and emotional
development
- social skills
- learning environments and
school climate
- eligibility for special
education
Intervention
- work face-to-face with
children and families
- help solve conflicts and
problems in learning and adjustment
- provide psychological
counseling for children and families
- provide social skills
training, behavior management, and other strategies
- help families and schools deal
with crises, such as separation and loss
Prevention
- identify potential learning
difficulties
- design programs for children
at risk of failure
- provide parents and teachers
with the skills to cope with disruptive behavior
- help foster tolerance,
understanding, and appreciation of diversity in the school community
- develop school-wide
initiatives to make schools safer and more effective
Education
develop programs on topics such as:
- teaching and learning
strategies
- classroom management
techniques
- working with students who have
disabilities or unusual talents
- substance abuse
- crisis management
Research and Planning
- evaluate the effectiveness of
academic programs, behavior management systems, and other services
- generate new knowledge about
learning and behavior
- contribute to planning and
evaluating school-wide reform and restructuring
Health Care Provision
- collaborate with school and
community-based personnel to provide a comprehensive model of school-linked
health services
- work with children and
families to provide integrated community services focusing on psychosocial
wellness and health-related issues
- developing partnerships with
parents and teachers to create healthy
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A good online resource for parents with questions about their child’s
development, as well as specific information about what school psychologists
provide is www.psychology.net
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