A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that can have a serious effect on a young, developing brain. Following a concussion, it is common for children and adolescents to experience difficulties in the school setting. Schools may be the ideal setting to address some of the problems children experience as schools employ some personnel with…

The overrepresentation of English Language Learners (ELL) in special education in the United States has been an ongoing concern for researchers and educators for many years (Dunn, 1968). Despite these concerns, there continues to be limited research in the areas of the assessment and classification practices of school psychologists when working…

Special education service provision depends upon referral for evaluation, corresponding evaluation procedures, and resulting eligibility decisions. However, how school districts and decision-makers (e.g., school psychologists) apply special education evaluation procedural rules is largely unknown. Through a survey of practicing school…

This qualitative interpretive descriptive study examined the process used by multidisciplinary teams during initial special education evaluations for different disability categories. The problem addressed the fact that there are no aligned norms for initial eligibility processes and procedures in special education from one school, district, or…

The increasing tendency of immigration and forced migration practices around the world has made countries' populations culturally and linguistically diverse. Australia is considered one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. Consequently, the proportion of school-aged children with different culture and language is also increasing.…

Approximately 145,000 U.S. children experience lasting effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that manifest in social, behavioural, physical, and cognitive challenges in the school setting. School psychologists have an essential role in identifying students who need support and in determining eligibility under the Individuals with Disabilities…

In recent years, school psychologists have increasingly recognized the importance of using valid and reliable methods to assess culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students for special education eligibility. However, little is known about their assessment practices or preparation in this area. To address these questions, a Web-based survey…

School psychologists are faced with the task of conducting evaluations of students in order to determine special education eligibility. This often equates to administering a cognitive assessment measure to obtain information about skills or abilities. Although this may be a straightforward task when working with children of average or higher…

This article reports an investigation of the views and practices of 203 Australian psychologists and guidance counsellors with respect to psycho-educational assessment of students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs). Results from an online survey indicated that practitioners draw upon a wide range of theoretical perspectives when…

The current study examined differences between urban and suburban school psychologists in terms of their motivation and self-regulation assessment beliefs, practices, and professional development needs. Using a sample of 96 urban and 47 suburban school psychologists sampled from 22 school districts in a Midwestern state, we found that the two…

This study explored bilingual school psychologists' assessment practices with students identified as English language learners (ELL). One thousand bilingual National Association of School Psychologist members were recruited nationwide, and 276 participated. Among those conducting language proficiency assessments of ELLs, many (58%) use…

A sample of 324 practicing school psychologists received a fictitious case study to which was attached a photograph of an attractive boy, an attractive girl, an unattractive boy, or an unattractive girl. Results indicated that a pupil's attractiveness had a significant effect on the judgments of school psychologists. (Author/HLM)

Investigated the assessment views and practices of 145 school psychologists. Results indicated that respondents are predominantly behavioral and cognitive behavioral in orientation; spend most of their professional time in the public schools; and engage in a great deal of assessment, particularly behavioral assessment and projective testing. (JAC)

Surveyed 195 school psychologists to examine whether competence-oriented information about children would lead to less restrictive special education placements than problem-oriented descriptions. Results showed children described through competence profiles were recommended for significantly less restrictive placements, while previous labels had…

Studies the expectations for school psychological services of Estonian teachers and school psychologists and the real problems psychologists deal with in schools. Results find that the problems that need the intervention of a psychologist are perceived differently by teachers and psychologists. Teachers tend to consider child-centered services…