Information about Career:
Educational psychologist
By Dinesh Kamath
Introduction
Educational
psychologists study and treat the learning, behavioural and emotional problems
of children and young people, from birth up to the age of nineteen years. They
work with them trying to overcome their difficulties and also with the intellectually
gifted. They also help teachers to understand psychological problems and to
meet the special needs of their pupils.
Functions of educational psychologist
An educational
psychologist is a psychologist whose differentiating functions may include
diagnostic and psycho-educational assessment, psychological counseling in
educational communities (students, teachers, parents and academic authorities),
community-type psycho-educational intervention, and mediation, coordination,
and referral to other professionals, at all levels of the educational system.
Many countries use this term to signify those who provide services to students,
their teachers, and families while other countries use this term to signify
academic training in the discipline of educational psychology, with no
intention of preparing persons to provide services.
Specific functions
The most
noteworthy function is, without a doubt, formal (rather than informal)
assessment. This evaluation involves collecting information, in a valid and
reliable way, about the three target groups of the triangle diagram (in their
respective contexts): teachers, students and curricula. Evaluation is divided
in at least two main types: diagnosis (dysfunctions detection such as physical,
sensory and intellectual impairments, dyslexia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder, pervasive development disorders or autism spectrum disorders) and
psycho-educational evaluation (detection of curriculum difficulties, poor
school atmosphere or family problems, etc.). Evaluation implies detection, and,
thanks to this, Prevention.
A second
function, very relevant too, is psychological counseling. This must be directed
to: a) students, in their various dimensions (intellectual, obviously, but also
their social, affective and professional dimensions); b) parents, as
‘paraprofessionals’ who may implement programs, selected or developed by
educational psychologists, to solve their child/student problems; c) teachers,
to whom will be offered psycho-educational support to face psychological
difficulties that may be found when implementing and adapting curricula to diversity
shown by students; d) academic authorities, who will be helped in their
decision-making, regarding the teaching (teaching process) and administrative
duties (providing necessary support for students with specific educational
needs, decisions about promotion to the next level, and so on).
A third function
based on communitarian interventions, with three main facets: corrective,
preventative, and optimizing interventions. If disruptive behavior occurs in
particular moments and contexts, then a corrective intervention is required. If
the aim is school violence reduction, then tertiary preventive intervention
programs are needed. If an early diagnosis of learning difficulties is carried
out, then psychologist has undertaken secondary prevention. If the aim is to
use psycho-educational programs to prevent future school failure, then a
primary preventative intervention program is put into practice. The complement
to all of these interventions is constituted by a series of optimizing activities,
meant for the academic, professional, social, family, and personal improvement
of all agents in educational community, especially learners.
A fourth
function, or specific activity, is referral of those suffering dysfunctions to
other professionals, following a previous diagnostic evaluation, with the aim
to coordinate future treatment implementation. This coordination will take
place with parents, teachers and other professionals, promoting collaboration
among all educational agents in order to get the fastest and best case
resolution.
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