Hi folks, I hope you are all doing well! I was curious to see where some of you do your research and keep up to date with evidence based practices and procedures? If you could provide perhaps databases or sources that are Free and accessible, that would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

In my program we have access to databases through the University's Library, but I won't be a student forever, and I would like to have an idea of places to browse and keep up to date with the latest research and evidence based practices. I am aware of NASP's website, however I am hesitant to pay for the membership as I am not fully sure how useful that may be, perhaps some of you may be able to provide some clarity as to the benefits of the membership and if you find it useful! Thanks!

I am in CT and just got an offer for a full time position. When they told me the offer i was confused and let the HR person know that I have my 6th year certificate so isn’t step 1 (I’m a new grad) more (according to their pay schedule)? They let me know that they currently can’t offer salary pay schedule more than a master’s degree. I got them to match my current salary which ends up being at step 3 & I have only verbally accepted the offer, but I’m confused as to how the step process will work and if eventually they’ll move me to the 6th year pay scale? Could this be due to district budget issues? Or that I am coming in mid school year? Has anyone experienced this?

I don’t know about you guys, but my reading interventionists in particular CONSTANTLY say “it’s a processing issue” or “it’s a language issue” when they’re discussing students.

I’ve found that they often use this to try to trigger an evaluation - or to pass students off to the SLPs. I try to get them to explain further and they rarely have any actual data or evidence to support this “theory.” I have run out of things to say and will probably lose my mind on the next person who tells me a kiddo has a processing issue. Any guidance is so appreciated!!

Hi all, I’m asking this question on behalf of my husband who’s a current school psych in northwest arkansas. We are looking to move to the west coast, hopefully California in the next couple years to be closer to friends.

We know how big of a jump that is—pay, housing, all of it. We have been planning this for a few years already, but we want to be sure of what we’re getting ourselves into. Currently, his contract starts every year in July (which I’ve heard is common) but he doesn’t get his first paycheck til end of September. Is this normal in other states? Or do you tend to get paid closer to the start of the contract? We both want to know how much of a cushion we would need to make for ourselves, thanks!

Hi, I recently started my PLLC to do contract work with local school districts in my area in Texas. I am wondering if anyone here has experience working as an independent school psychologist and if they can help me understand what type of insurance I need. Do I need both professional liability and general liability insurance, or would professional liability be enough? Feel free to ask any questions for additional context. :)

I don’t know if how long I can continue business as usual knowing what’s coming. Everyone keeps saying Trump can’t actually abolish the DOE but truly I don’t know what he’s capable of. When public education, special education, starts getting federally defunded, how do I serve my students? How do I triage when I’m already getting so many referrals all the time and getting pushback for trying to make the pre-referral process work better. How do I prepare myself for the worst that’s yet to come? Do I change my strategy entirely? Do I leave the field when I’ve only just started? What do we do now? The long game has to remain what it always has been, I think - ensure equitable, inclusive education for all. But how do I change my strategy when the federal government wants to do the exact opposite and threatens to punish anyone who disagrees? What’s our plan now?

Hi team- I know that there is currently a shortage of schools psychs in Canada, particularly on the east coast-

do schools ever sponsor work visas for psychs from abroad?

Has anyone heard the claim that fidget use can “impact performance 1-2 standard deviations” on cognitive/processing assessments?

During an assessment, I allowed a student to use fidgets during untimed listening portions of an assessment, due to the student’s high levels of motor activity (also noted by teacher and observed in multiple settings). The student regularly uses fidgets in his classroom during instruction activities. I documented this in my report since it does deviate from typical assessment protocols. It was stated during the assessment review that the results are now 1-2 standard deviations away from what scores would be without allowing the student to use a fidget.

Does anyone know of research that supports this claim? I have looked and have not found anything.

I am still in a masters program, but just wondering if there are private agencies that are set as non-profits? Because I am swimming in my student loans I would need to end up in a governmental/public/non-profit sector. Just looking at other options besides working directly with school districts.

How helpful or unhelpful do you found peer-reviewed school psychology research, like articles published in the School Psychology Review or the Journal of School Psychology etc. to be for your practice as a school psychologist? Asking about both older, more seminal papers that have shaped the field as well as the steady stream of academic publishing in general?

Do you regularly consume research? If so, by reading it directly? Through conferences? Professional development?

Does it inform changes in your practice?

I feel somewhat ill equipped to work with my autism students. I have lessons about social stories, learning to compliment etc. but often feel as though I just can't really help these kids. Just wanted to see what tips people have/ specific lessons or topics they think are effective. Thanks!

NOT DECLARING ANY STANCE JUST CURIOUS. I am currently in graduate school for my degree in school psychology. I am now thinking about Project 2025, specifically the plan to defund the department of education. Will my degree, that I have acquired crippling debt for, be completely useless if the DOE is dismantled? I know he himself hasn’t backed Project 2025 but many of those surrounding him have endorsed it.

What are the main duties in CO at the elementary level?

In Florida, it’s mostly psychoed evals.

Do you like it as a school psych in CO?

Thank you

Hi all,

First year practitioner and recovering people pleaser here. I need tips on self-regulating during tough meetings. Unfortunately, I wasn’t exposed to any really tough meetings during my internship, so I don’t have much experience in that area. I had my first really rough meeting this morning, and thank God the parent was participating via phone. She yelled at the whole team and was extremely aggressive.

How do you all self-regulate during tough meetings, especially when you’re the chair?

How do you get yourself to stop thinking about what you could have possibly done wrong, differently, etc. after the meeting has been over (for multiple hours 😅) ?

What are your go-to ways of relaxing and decompressing after particularly stressful days? Or just in general?

Thank you all in advance.

I had a student I'm currently working with come into the office today with another student that I'm not testing. The student I'm currently working for asked if they could have a snack and if I had any more tests for them. I told them they could have a snack once they got their parents to send the Vineland in with them to school. The other student that I have not worked with asked what it is I do, and what kind of testing I do. I told them I was a psychologist and tested all kinds of students, but didn't say anything about what kind of testing we do.

I've never learned or really thought about this ethically, and telling a student I'm testing another student is obviously a no-go, but what are the ethical considerations of telling a student what my job is?

With the possibility of the Department of Education being eliminated, what would that mean for school psychs? Limited employment opportunities?

Hi everyone, I am reaching out today in the hopes that you will consider participating in my dissertation study focused on SLD identification decisions for English learner students. Estimated completion time is ~30 mins, and if you choose to participate, there is a lottery for your chance to win a $25 gift card! 

https://niu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_09712O1M9Q0y72e 

Thank you for your consideration!

Is anyone else’s SEIS not working?

Hello all. While every school psych job looks a little different, I'm sure we have all had to help out in other ways at our district or school.

Being asked to call parents when teachers saw the behavior, helping out with social groups when the counselor is out sick, helping decorate festivals at school as they occur, helping 'babysit' students that are dysregulated, and more.

Don't even get me started on how much work goes into (trying) to force teachers to collect data for MTSS concerns.

I'm really getting sick and tired of it all. Admittedly, I walked myself into this by just simply being the "yes man" and it has driven me into the ground already. Now, a lot of coworkers are wondering why I'm hanging out in the office more.

What about you guys, what has worked for you to not over extend yourself? How easy is it for you to say no to a task that ADMIN asks of you?

Hi all, I work at a school that is truthfully overstaffed for the mental health team. Last year it was just me and this year we got a counselor, and I have had not enough to do frankly. I have only had a handful of evals so far, wrote all the reports, and there are not many students on IEPs. I have a fairly low counseling load as well (about 1/3 of the day most days). I don't have anything I NEED to do paperwork wise or counseling wise, so I am desperately trying to make myself useful. Most days that consist of walking around the school, consulting with teachers, etc, but It is not enough to occupy the time I have remaining from my assigned tasks. What kind of extra roles can I create for myself? I started teaching in classes about certain topics like suicide prevention, but I still need more to do. I know this sounds privileged but I have OCD and not having enough to do leaves me to ruminate, and not having any structure to my day also leads me to ruminate. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I am considering leaving my district within the next couple of months for various reasons, but ultimately the job is significantly impacting my mental and physical health.

Can anyone share their experience leaving a district mid year in California? Did anything happen with your credential? What was that process like? Any information help. I want to be informed before I get the ball rolling.

Hello /r/schoolpsychology! Please use this thread to post all questions and discussions related to training, credentialing, licensure, and graduate school - including graduate school in general, questions about practica/internship, requests to interview practitioners, questions about certification/licensure, graduate training programs, admissions, applications, etc.

We also have a FAQ!

I am seeking school psychologists who work in alternative education settings (e.g., for students with intensive needs) to participate in an interview about your engagement in various job activities including consultation, intervention, assessment, and social justice work. This project aims to better understand how the professional responsibilities of school psychologists who work in alternative education settings compare to those working within mainstream schools. Participation in the study would involve a 60-90 minute Zoom interview with questions that ask about your work setting and engagement in various job activities, including consultation, intervention, assessment, and social justice work. It is anticipated that participation will involve minimal risk, and you may skip any questions that cause discomfort. Participants will receive a $20 gift card. If you have any questions about this research, please feel free to contact the primary investigator, Staci Ballard, Ph.D. (scball@nmsu.edu). This project has been approved by the New Mexico State University Institutional Review Board.

To participate, please complete the following consent form/demographic survey and a researcher will be in touch to schedule and interview: https://survey.nmsu.edu/surveys/?s=LD3FWJNDRW4LNWNC

Please feel free to forward this request to any other school psychologists that would be interested.

Thank you for your consideration!

I am in year two of being a school psych. My first internship year was manageable because the referrals just weren’t coming in like they are this year. I find working with a few cases that are due around the same time to be the most manageable way to delegate my time appropriately but I would love your advise on how you manage 15-20 open cases at the same time? Do you send out teacher information gathering sheets and then circle back to test those students later? Or what do y’all do? I listed a couple questions but I would love to hear any advice in this area!

When things are so messed up at your school you and your colleagues turn to tarot card readings.

I’m wondering if anyone is certified in trauma-informed therapy/educational practices? Where did you get your certification? I’m really passionate about working with students who have PTSD or experienced trauma, and helping them learn about their brains/how they learn best.

Thank you!!

Hello! My district has a very high number of autism evaluations. I'm wondering if anyone else has been experiencing this recently?

Also, any tips for actually differentiating between autism and ADHD or autism and developmental delay, other comorbidities?

Does anyone have a link to research that I could share with parents that shows placement in special education does not lead to positive outcomes for students if they do not truly need specially designed instruction?

I’m a practicing School Psychologist, and I have 2 sites this year. I share one of my sites with another School Psychologist, and this is our first year working together. We split the caseload, so we both work on different cases.

We share a google drive, so I have access to her reports, and she has access to mine. Recently, I looked at one of her reports for a case she’s working on because she was talking to me about the student’s cognitive profile. To be honest, she didn’t ask me to look at the report, but I was curious. Upon reading the cognitive section summary, I was shocked to see that the writing was almost a copy/paste of my cognitive summary for a student I evaluated. I then saw that the summary statement of the social/emotional section was literally copied and pasted, just with a different student’s name. These students have similar disabilities. I was baffled to see my own writing in her report, and I decided to look back on some of her older reports before I came to the site. The writing was completely different (and weaker, if I’m being honest). I looked at another more recent report, and she was again using the exact writing and format of my summary statements.

I’m wondering if I’m overreacting. I can’t stop thinking about it. I’m upset that she clearly took my unique way of writing these summary paragraphs. She never mentioned to me that she read my reports or complimented my writing. But she clearly changed her way of writing by basically copying mine when I started working at the site. I don’t want to confront her, but I do worry about our supervisor seeing both of our reports now and wondering why they’re similar. I have hope that my supervisor knows my writing enough to not question if I copied hers. What would you do about this situation? Anything?

I know we all like reading other people’s reports and getting ideas from each other about how to improve, but I feel like this was just copying and pasting and changing very few details.

Hi!

I’m a specialist level school psychologist with a New York State certification. I was recently asked about if I was able to provide supervision to practicum students. I was unsure if I am able to do this (do I need to be a doctoral level school psychologist to do that?) if you know please let me know!