In the state of Delaware, a school psychologist is not a school counselor. In order to become a psychologist a person must have a master 's degree and state licensure. Delaware requires the person to be credentialed by the National School Psychology Certification Board. A psychologist program requires the person to complete 1200 hours of internship (a full school year) where a counselor can be completed in half that time. School psychologists have coursework in assessing cognitive, social, and emotional functioning. They typically have practicum experiences administering individual intelligence tests. They learn to administer behavioral assessments as well ("School Psychologists versus School Counselors | What 's the Difference?," n.d.). A
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Most special needs students begin their educational journey during preschool (ages 3-5) and will continue till graduation (18-21). For an early learner, the role of a psychologist is to meet the family that has begun to see signs of a delayed in their child compared to the chronological age milestones. The psychologist needs to relay all information with compassion and expressing there is hope. Typically during a home visit, the psychologist will observe the student in their natural environment and interview the parents about the child’s strength and delays. It is important for the psychologist to be able to support and direct the family to help the child. A psychologist needs to build a rapport with parents and is often the first person to bring additional specialist to the IEP team. The psychologist has to be the front voice to help the parents decipher all the information. The psychologist will also maintain communication as each new team member (occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, etc.) is introduced to the family the psychologist needs to be able to provide reliable resources and must be current on websites, literature, and resources within the community. They are essentially training the parents on how to become a strong advocates for their children. It is important to be able to guide, support, and educate the …show more content…
The psychologist has to work with the teacher to create a classroom management plan. A classroom management plan in a traditional school has three tiers and additional support. With a special education classroom, each student enters the room with an IEP that demands the teacher be able to meet the needs of each student and the structure of the IEP. The psychologist is there to help establish the classroom dynamics. The psychologist also must create their own groups while not interrupting the dynamics in the classroom. Often a psychologist will prefer small group sessions over one on one to help work with the student on peer interaction. Students with delays have found ways to function with adults but often struggle with how to properly interact with other students. It 's important to incorporate classroom management skills into lesson plans. It 's important to incorporate preferred activities with non-preferred activities in schedules, reinforcing appropriate behaviors, and providing visuals so students are always able to
Most special needs students begin their educational journey during preschool (ages 3-5) and will continue till graduation (18-21). For an early learner, the role of a psychologist is to meet the family that has begun to see signs of a delayed in their child compared to the chronological age milestones. The psychologist needs to relay all information with compassion and expressing there is hope. Typically during a home visit, the psychologist will observe the student in their natural environment and interview the parents about the child’s strength and delays. It is important for the psychologist to be able to support and direct the family to help the child. A psychologist needs to build a rapport with parents and is often the first person to bring additional specialist to the IEP team. The psychologist has to be the front voice to help the parents decipher all the information. The psychologist will also maintain communication as each new team member (occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, etc.) is introduced to the family the psychologist needs to be able to provide reliable resources and must be current on websites, literature, and resources within the community. They are essentially training the parents on how to become a strong advocates for their children. It is important to be able to guide, support, and educate the …show more content…
The psychologist has to work with the teacher to create a classroom management plan. A classroom management plan in a traditional school has three tiers and additional support. With a special education classroom, each student enters the room with an IEP that demands the teacher be able to meet the needs of each student and the structure of the IEP. The psychologist is there to help establish the classroom dynamics. The psychologist also must create their own groups while not interrupting the dynamics in the classroom. Often a psychologist will prefer small group sessions over one on one to help work with the student on peer interaction. Students with delays have found ways to function with adults but often struggle with how to properly interact with other students. It 's important to incorporate classroom management skills into lesson plans. It 's important to incorporate preferred activities with non-preferred activities in schedules, reinforcing appropriate behaviors, and providing visuals so students are always able to