As a new academic year beings, teachers, children, and families have a high level of excitement and angst. Many look forward to getting back into a regular routine, being with friends, being in the classroom, and being part of a larger community. However, it is known that many routines were and continue to be disrupted by COVID-19: mental health…

Today, social media is gaining particular attention for providing users with multiple applications to connect with friends, family, and businesses. While most social media platforms can be beneficial, there are also risks. Educators, school psychologists and graduate students need to monitor how they present themselves to the public and how they…

Until recently, the word "unprecedented" has been relatively dormant in the collective vocabulary of most school psychologists. However, this school year has been like no other, resulting in a unique training experience for many interns and practicum students. While some trainees have been able to practice a diverse set of skills, others…

School psychologists often have reason to suspect that students may not be putting forth full effort during diagnostic tests, or that questionnaire or rating scale data are not credible. However, such suspicions must be tested carefully to yield data-based conclusions. Structured, empirically supported methods for assessing the "response…

The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be experienced around the globe. The impacts of which are most significant for children and adolescents. Long COVID is one of the persistent outcomes of the pandemic that can be catastrophic for youth who experience it. Although medical research remains ongoing in developing our understanding…

Turner syndrome (TS) is a chromosomal disorder, caused by either complete or partial X monosomy (i.e., absence of one member of a pair of chromosomes) in some or all cells. It affects approximately 1 in 2,500 female live births. However, only about 1% of fetuses with 45, X karyotype (image of one's chromosomes) are carried to term, and up to 10%…

Phasing out ineffective programs may free up resources for more effective alternatives and improve student outcomes. This review of the literature on the de-implementation process in schools includes a practical guide that can be used to ensure students receive the most effective services available. This framework can be applied to illustrate how…

School psychologists familiar with the autism evaluation process have an awareness of the complexity of this school-based process. This paper provides school clinicians with an introduction to a visual framework and descriptive language to think and talk about the complex students they evaluate in positive, nuanced, and accessible terms. This…

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are a group of disorders directly caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. This spectrum of disorders cause neurodevelopmental, neurobehavioral, and mental health effects. The consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure are permanent, leaving children and adults with behavioral and learning difficulties throughout…

This article presents a structured blueprint for school psychologists to assess and intervene in cases of automatically maintained self-injurious behavior (SIB) while adhering to the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) mandate. We outline a six-step process for conducting Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) of automatically maintained SIB,…

Navigating the development of attraction ad identity can be particularly stressful for sexual/gender minority (SGM) students--particularly as multiple states have passed legislation targeting SGM rights and culture. School psychologists can mitigate such stress through effective counseling when consent is granted for service provision, but parents…

School psychologists are well served to stay up to date on trends in special education law, particularly with respect to determinations when school teams' decisions are challenged. This allows them to focus on proactive best practices that foster accurate specific learning disability (SLD) identification and active collaboration with parents. This…

Limited attention has been devoted in school psychology training programs to students with chronic health conditions. School psychologists are situated to provide behavioral and mental health services to students with chronic health conditions. The focus of this report is on pediatric chronic pain. Pediatric chronic pain is prevalent and can be…

Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease is on the rise. School psychologists must understand the significant physical, emotional, and psychological effects of this condition to be effective advocates for students and their families, and to conduct well-informed, comprehensive evaluations for this population. This article discusses the academic,…

Education laws and policies serve to guide the way programs and services are implemented in schools. The transition from law or policy to implementation can be fraught with complications that impact the education system across many levels. According to Viennet and Pont (2017), one of the areas that can either hinder or support the transition from…