The job of a school psychologist involves working with students, teachers and parents. These psychologists work towards promoting academic, emotional and behavioral accomplishments. Besides being a fulfilling career option for those interested in the field of education, the job market is also quite strong for school psychologists. These professionals are specially trained to address a wide range of issues concerning students. While working as school psychologists, candidates are not necessary required to teach students. They use the skills to evaluate students’ psychology so as to promote the latter’s academic and learning capabilities.
Job Description
Professionals trained in school psychology can either work with students individually or in groups. They also work in close contact with the school personnel and parents. While working at schools, professionals provide training to school teachers in areas like behavioral management, referral processes, ADHD etc. Being highly skilled in special education, these psychologists also provide interventions (both individual and group) and counseling. One major job responsibility of these professionals is to assess and evaluate the special education eligibility process. In addition, they examine the effectiveness of academic programs, treatment interventions and classroom agendas among others.
Whether it is clinical psychology or educational psychology, school psychologists are quite well versed in both. Using these expert skills, professionals make personality assessment of students to collect data concerning the students’ emotional and behavioral functioning. Collaboration with teachers and students’ parents is an essential part of the whole assessment process. In order to completely comprehend a student’s functioning, teachers’ and parents’ perspectives play a vital role. Many times, it may happen that a student’s disability interferes with their ability to learn. School psychologists, therefore, develop a multidisciplinary team to determine the same.
Education & Degrees Required to Become School Psychologists
Candidates aspiring to become school psychologists need to obtain a three year post bachelor’s degree (typical a specialist degree in school psychology). If you want to acquire higher ranking job positions, supervisory jobs or superior academic positions, a doctoral degree is required. In addition to obtaining the education degree, candidates also require licensing/ certification by the state where they are willing to work. Before getting enrolled in a degree program, students should make sure that the program or training has necessary accreditations and approvals.
Employment Opportunities
Most of the school psychology jobs are obtained at public schools. However, career opportunities for professionals are immense. They can also land jobs at private school systems, universities, clinics, hospitals etc. The occupation also provides professionals the flexibility of getting involved in private practice. For private practice, a doctoral degree is essential.
Professional Organization for School Psychologists
National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
American Psychological Association (APA)
Smart Specialty
If you are able to land Director of Programs jobs, you will definitely have one of the most rewarding careers. The job position is one of the most satisfying and highly paid jobs in the field of education and training.
Annual Salary
School psychologists earn an annual salary ranging between $53,700 and $80,100. Salary will depend on where you join and what job position you land. The median annual salary for those who have eight years of experience in this education field or more is $60,700.
By: James Tomerson
Posts Tagged ‘Adhd’
School Psychologists Career Profile
March 1st, 2010Special Needs Children’s Education
November 17th, 2009
It’s almost as though homeschooling was invented for a special needs children’s education. Kids afflicted with ADHD, autism, dyslexia or Asperger’s among other learning difficulties can all benefit from being taught at home by their parents. Some public school systems can afford to hire trained therapists for these fields, but the extra attention and time afforded a student at home by a loved one can make a big difference in a child’s ability to learn. It’s just natural for a parent to be able to teach their own child more effectively. They’ve been doing it for the student’s whole life and know how to best approach new things with them. They will likely be more patient than a public school teacher and offer the extra time it might take to learn. A classroom would likely not be as able to offer the one-on-one time it might take until a student “gets it”.
It’s likely a parent would also know better than a public school instructor what manner of teaching would best suit their child. Some learn better with visual aids, some by repetition and some by seeing it done for them and copying what they’re taught. It’s very likely a parent would already know this from their own experience. They’ll also know what to look for when a special needs child is getting frustrated and ready to act up or quit, thereby avoiding a bad learning experience for the child.
If you’re wondering what sort of curriculum would best suit your special needs children’s education, there are several avenues to get started.
We would first look on the Internet. Non-profit groups who support your child’s disorder will likely have a presence there and should have good information about learning difficulties and how to overcome them. They will likely make suggestions or direct you to other good sources. They may even list case studies of various methods of learning and their success rates.
We would also try to find support groups on the Internet for your particular disease. There will likely be several forums on the Web where you can read others’ posts and ask questions directly. Parents on these websites are often very willing to share their experiences and will offer help when they can. Although your child is an individual, often there can be common practices that will help almost all children suffering from a common ailment.
There are also many books available about homeschooling your special needs children. Some are written specifically for particular disorders and offer teaching suggestions as well as curriculum selection guides. Most are written by people who have been homeschooling their own special needs children, so they speak with experience and write in every day language, rather than from theory with medical-babble-speak.
If you start with these suggestions, you should quickly be on the road to solving how to best get your special needs children educated. It can be as rewarding for you as it will be for your child since you will have contributed directly to his education and well-being.
By: A J Adams
Special Education – How to Determine What the Function of Your Child’s School Behavior Is!
November 8th, 2009
Does your child with autism, ADHD, or another disability, have problems with negative school behavior? Have you driven yourself crazy trying to figure out why your child is behaving badly? You can relax, this article will discuss a process which is known as a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) that can help you figure out what your child is gaining from their school behavior. You can use this information to develop a positive behavioral plan, and increase your child’s good behavior.
Before special education personnel can conduct the FBA on your child, they must pinpoint what the behavior is and describe it in concrete terms. For Example: Mary hits other children when she cannot be first in line.
Next you must determine what the ABC’s of a specific behavior are. A stands for Antecedent; what is occurring in the environment at the time of the behavior. B stands for the specific behavior. C stands for the consequence of the behavior;what happens in the environment or to the child because of the behavior. Have special education personnel track the ABC’s of the behavior for one week. This information can be used to develop the FBA.
Now special education personnel are ready to conduct the functional behavioral assessment, on your child. The definition of an FBA is: A process for collection of information. The data the team collects is used to help determine why problem behaviors occur.
Once you determine why the problem behavior occurs, the information from the functional behavioral assessment will be used to develop a positive behavioral plan. A positive behavioral plan is not punishment for negative behavior, but a plan to increase positive behavior, which will in turn decrease negative behavior.
Appropriate steps for conducting a FBA:
1. Identify the problem behaviors that most need to change. Isolate them and describe them in concrete terms.
2. Determine where the behavior occurs and where it does not.
3. Identify what may contribute to the behavior. Is the child ill, are the child’s academics too hard, avoidance of something, attention getting etc.
4. What is unique, about the environments where behaviors are not a concern.
5. What is different, in the places where the problem behaviors do occur.
6. Is the work that a child is asked to do cause the problem.
7. Could the time of day affect your child’s behavior.
8. Is the problem linked to a skill deficit?
9. Come up with a list of new positive behaviors that can be taught to the child, that have the same function as the negative behaviors.
10.Develop a theory about why the behavior is occurring! Some people call this a hypothesis, about why the behavior is happening.
11.Test your theory. Develop a positive behavioral plan and track to see if your child’s behavior is improving.
12.Occasionally meet with school personnel and evaluate whether the positive behavior plan continues to be effective, or if the plan needs to be updated.
By following these steps in conducting the functional behavioral assessment, you will finally understand what your child is gaining, from the negative school behavior. After you and special education personnel develop a positive behavioral plan, your child will be well on their way to improving their school behavior.
By: JoAnn Collins
