The activity of educational psychologists' (EPs') statutory psychological assessment continues to be viewed critically within literature. The current research explores the understanding of EPs and special educational needs and disability (SEND) officers in this activity, considering the 2014/2015 policy reforms. Semi-structured interviews were…

Assessment is one of the five functions of the educational psychologist's (EP's) role, yet there is a dearth of research exploring its distinctive contribution to school-based practice, and a lack of definition about what it is. In this study, the assessment practices of EPs were compared with those of other educational professionals who had…

This two-part study investigated how educational psychologists (EPs) might support schools working with young people (YP) with eating disorders (EDs). Part one explored the current support in UK schools for secondary-aged pupils with EDs, and the areas that parents (n52) and school staff (n39) felt needed further development, using online…

UK government statistics illustrate that children's mental health problems are rising. Schools are positioned as central to identifying and responding to children's mental health problems, and teachers are seen to play a crucial role in fostering positive relationships, developing supportive environments, and implementing targeted interventions.…

Despite literature supporting the need for educational psychologists (EPs) to work with families as central to good practice, there is limited evidence of the ways in which EPs involve families within their practice. This paper discusses a small-scale study which explored EP practice in relation to work with families. Nine EPs from four English…

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC) calls for education to prepare children for ' … responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin'. The current study examines…

Child participation currently holds a high profile within the field of educational psychology and has been the subject of increasing interest and research. The aim of this paper is to consider the potential merit in orienting the focus beyond participation in planning and decision-making and towards self-advocacy. Self-advocacy is an essential…

The current research aimed to explore the extent to which school professionals and local authority staff perceived that there was a role for educational psychologists in the processes involved in implementing, monitoring and offering support to young people for whom a managed move was being arranged. The study was conducted in one English local…

Behavioural difficulties, whether externalising or internalising, concern educational policy makers, practitioners and educational psychologists (EPs). The present configurative systematic literature review (SLR) aims to explore EPs' representations of their behaviour management practices and application of psychology within behaviour work, in…

Research has shown that teacher consultation groups increase teachers' behaviour management skills through discussion and collaborative problem-solving. Unlike the United Kingdom, at the time of this research consultation groups were not widely used in Irish schools. This research introduced Farouk's process consultation approach in three Irish…

In the context of a trend towards inclusive practice in Irish primary schools, many teachers feel ill-equipped to cope with this new challenge. Scope exists within the Irish education system to transform mainstream schools into autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) friendly environments. Research into teacher perceptions of inclusion has found that…

Outcomes of interviews with seven educational psychologists, focused on issues of epistemological and ontological positioning, are reported. The interviews were conducted within a qualitative, biographical research paradigm which examines the ways in which a person's meaning-making is impacted upon by all aspects of their life experience. Thematic…

Starting school is a critical event in a child's life and successful transitions to school have been posited as key indicators for future academic achievement. For children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the process is complicated by difficulties in social communication and social interaction. Parents of children with ASD can experience…

This project follows a survey into the role of UK educational psychologists (EPs) in delivering therapeutic interventions to children and young people. Four educational psychology services (EPSs) that identified themselves as providing effective therapeutic practice were selected on the basis of their qualitative responses to the survey. Site…

This study explores the process of reintegration into school for children with an acquired brain injury (ABI) and considers the role of the educational psychologist (EP) in supporting these children. Interviews were conducted with a range of professionals in two specialist settings: a specialist rehabilitation centre and a children's hospital with…