The following are a series of questions I often address from children, parents and teachers.
1. What does a School Psychologist do?
The answer to this question is quite simple. We ensure that children are ready to learn. Children come to school with a variety of issues on a daily basis. These can include anything from not having enough to eat, to parents who have divorced, to their pet being sick or passing away, to having a learning disability, to having a mental health diagnosis, to struggling with making/maintaining friendships, to finding a girlfriend/boyfriend, to worrying about college applications. The complexities and relevance of these issues tend to far surpass the relevance of paying attention to a teacher talking about math, reading, or writing. Thus, many students tend to tune out their teacher when they are worried about these bigger issues. School Psychologists are specially trained to identify these issues for children and help them to problem-solve through there concerns about them so children can be ready to learn in their classroom. Furthermore, School Psychologists are also specially trained to help students, parents, and teachers understand the details of negative or maladaptive human behavior. While many children's behaviors tend to be silly, odd, and/or irrational, they are typically for a specific reason. That is, they are being done to meet a specific need. School Psychologists are trained to determine what those needs are and to find alternative ways for children to meet those needs that are prosocial rather than disruptive. Finally, School Psychologists are individuals trained to advocate for the general needs of children. While school demands a great deal from children, School Psychologists help to differentiate what those demands are for individual children; so that the needs are proportionate to an individual child's abilities. This is called differentiation of instruction.
2. Who can talk to the School Psychologist?
To begin answering this question, I want to first say that it is ok to talk to a psychologist. It does not mean that you are in any way weak, incapable, or stupid. It means that you have made a decision to simply seek help or guidance to solve a significant problem or better understand something you are facing. In general, anyone can talk to the School Psychologist. I always have an open door policy. That is, anyone can come and talk to me if they make an appointment or simply see me in the hallway and request to meet with me. The majority of my time is spent working with children who have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that explicitly says they need mental health support to help them learn on a daily basis. Supports I typically provide include helping students learn play skills at a young age, social skills to help them make and maintain friendships, skills to overcome anxious or sad/negative thinking, and skills to organize their thinking and behavior (this is also called executive functioning). However, I also have the opportunity to work with students who do not have IEPs. Some students simply need to chat once or twice because they are struggling with a peer conflict and need help to moderate the conversation. Other students may need to participate in a short social skills group because they struggle to make friends. Some students may even need to have an outlet to chat with myself and other students in a controlled setting who have all experienced a common stressful situation or issue (e.g., divorce of parents, death of a family member or friend, body image issues, or anxiety). In addition to students, teachers and parents can even talk to the School Psychologist. The saying is true...it does take a village to raise a child. Therefore, many teachers will come chat with me if they need ideas about behavioral management strategies in their classrooms. Parents will also come talk to me if they are concerned about their child's learning or behavior at home and/or school.
3. Why did the School Psychologist talk to my child today?
On any given day at school, students encounter a number of academic and social problems they must solve. It is often the job of classroom teachers to help students understand how to solve complex math problems. It is the job of a School Psychologist to help students understand complex social issues including bullying, friendship, social cognition, and the like. Therefore, if a student experiences a significant social issue at school, the School Psychologist is either consulted or asked to directly speak with a child or group of children about the issue. For example, if two students get into a fight on the playground during recess and the teacher is unable to help the students work out their differences through honesty and respect, the School Psychologist may be asked to help the students talk out what happened. Likewise, if a child is acting out in class for multiple days in a row and the teacher is struggling to control the behavior, the School Psychologist may be consulted to help the teacher and/or student figure out the reasoning for the behavior and how to change the behavior to meet the need in a prosocial or positive way. It is typically a one-time occurrence and the children don't come back to see the psychologist multiple times unless requested by a parent. Don't worry, if a School Psychologist or administrator ever talks to your child on a given day, you will always receive a phone call or email to explain why and you will be given a chance to ask questions and find out pertinent information.
4. Why did the School Psychologist visit my child's classroom today?
It is my philosophy as a mental health professional that children need to be given direct instruction to learn about friendship, how to be good students, and generally how to be upstanding individuals. Thus, I often solicit teachers to allow me to come into their classrooms to provide evidence-based instruction. Classes often last for approximately 20 to 30 minutes and occur once per week for a determined time; typically 6, 8, 10, or 12 weeks in duration. Topics span from executive functioning strategies to social skills, to social thinking, and restorative community building.
5. I think my child has (insert name of disorder), what do you think? OR My child's teacher has started to notice that my child has been struggling in school more and more as the year has gone by, does he have a disability?
It is not appropriate to make a diagnosis or provide special education services of any sort without first doing a comprehensive evaluation of the child's developmental history as well as relevant skills and abilities. However, such an evaluation is only done in a school setting if it is thought that the disorder or issue is affecting the child's ability to learn in the classroom. Often children may have behavioral concerns or even a struggle to learn but they do not impact a child to the point that they are learning below their grade level. For example, some children who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have the symptoms of the disorder under control through the use medicine and/or direct instruction from a teacher or other professional. Because of this, they perform at or above grade level. These children, therefore, may not require testing to receive an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). On the other hand, a child who is struggling with attention in the classroom and has consistently scored below grade level for several weeks/months, despite vigorous interventions implemented by teachers, parents, and/or professionals, may have a disability that is impacting their ability to learn in the classroom. Thus, they may need comprehensive testing to determine what their educational needs are including potentially receiving a disability label and an IEP to ensure an adequate education.