Practicum experiences have been a critical aspect of the education and training of school psychologists at both the specialist and doctoral level. At the specialist level, the National Association of School Psychologists recently updated their standards for practicum, but the content, quality, and length of practicum vary tremendously across…

A national sample of psychology instructors (N = 134) rated the appropriateness and frequency of 104 potential student behaviors, replicating and extending Parr and Valerius. The top 10 ratings for appropriateness and frequency differed from previous work. The author discusses the importance of clear communication of instructor expectations of…

Teenage sexual activity has arguably received more attention in the national media as of late than ever before. One is inundated with information concerning everything from alarming rises in the incidence and prevalence rates of sexually transmitted infections in adolescents and young adults to the latest round of suspensions (or even arrests)…

The current study investigated clinicians' perspectives on the effectiveness of interventions designed to support the development of children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs). Researchers developed a semi-structured interview which was administered to 11 clinicians involved in the assessment and treatment of ASDs (5 = clinical…

Recent changes in legislation (IDEA) have implications for the changing role of the school psychologist, specifically in the evaluation of students with learning disabilities. There is a need to examine the attitudes and practices of school psychologists regarding specific learning disability identification as there is little consistency in how…

As more young children enter school settings to attend early childhood programs, early childhood teachers and school psychologists have been charged with supporting a growing number of young children with chronic problem behaviors that put them at risk for the development of emotional/behavioral disorders (EBDs). There is a need for effective,…

Over the last several years, educational policy has advocated for a preventive approach to keep problem behaviors from escalating and interfering with student achievement. Proactive methodologies such as school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) and response to intervention (RTI) have become common practice in school districts across the…

The recently adopted NASP "Model for Comprehensive and Integrated School Psychological Services" consists of 10 domains of practice that describe the competencies of school psychologists to effectively support the positive educational, behavioral, and mental health outcomes of all students. Anastasia Skalski (2010), NASP Director of…

Interdisciplinary collaboration (IC) is a critically important theme generally, and of particular significance in school mental health (SMH), given the range of people from different disciplines who work in schools and the various systems in place. Reflecting the move to a true shared school-family-community system agenda, the collaborative…

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence identifies educational psychologists as appropriate specialists to deliver interventions to promote the emotional well-being of children and families. A role for practitioner educational psychologists in providing specific therapeutic interventions has also been proposed by commentators. The present…

The authors used a withdrawal design to evaluate the effects of a modified Color Wheel System (M-CWS) on the on-task behavior of 7 students enrolled in the 4th grade. Standard CWS procedures were modified to include a 4th set of rules designed to set behavioral expectation for cooperative learning activities. Mean data showed that immediately…

There has been a growing interest in the use of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in school settings by educational psychologists in England. This small-scale study set out to explore the effectiveness of a school-based, eight-session CBT intervention for 12-13-year-old children with externalizing behavioural difficulties. Twelve pupils were…

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of vulnerable learners from child-headed households through an ecological systems model that includes their homes, community, and school. Special emphasis was given to the role of school psychologists as change agents within the context of schools. This qualitative study…

The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) has begun an investigation into why most jobs currently have a gender imbalance within their workforce. The latest in a series of updates has been published by the Association of Educational Psychologists (AEP) on gender distribution amongst educational psychologists. This may therefore be an opportune time…

MindMatters Plus is a mental health promotion initiative in Australia which aims to improve the capacity of secondary schools to cater for students who have high support needs in the area of mental health. The development of effective school case management was one of the projects associated with this initiative. The aim of this project was to…