Legal, Ethical, & Professional Practice
School psychologists have knowledge of the history and foundations of school psychology, multiple service models and methods, ethical, legal and professional standards; and other factors related to professional identity and effective practice as school psychologists. They demonstrate skills to provide services consistent with ethical, legal and professional standards; engage in responsive ethical and professional decision-making; collaborate with other professionals; and apply professional work characteristics needed for effective practice as school psychologists, including respect for human diversity and social justice, communication skills, effective interpersonal skills, responsibility, adaptability, initiative, dependability, and technology skills.
(NASP, n.d.)
(NASP, n.d.)
During my internship, I encountered a situation where I was able to provide assistance and support for my supervisor. Due to a contentious divorce, school personnel were required to testify in a court case. The question of a child's educational records and which information is required by law to share with the court as part of the student's records was encountered. Having had a class on Legal and Ethical practices previously, I was able to relay what I had learned in class and provide my supervisor with the text from the course as a resource.
Over the course of my internship experience, I have had several additional opportunities to utilize my knowledge of legal and ethical standards at my sites. The start of this school year brought on numerous changes throughout the Special Education Department in Wellesley, MA. With a new Head of the department, changes were inevitable. Some of these changes were in regard to legal and ethical practices such as sending reports through email vs. mailing them, and the organization of IEP forms. Having the opportunity to work at two different elementary schools, I was provided varying ways in which laws and ethics shape the work of a school psychologist. In addition, having two mentors has helped to shape my own preferences, beliefs, and vision for my future career as a School Psychologist.
This year I have become more familiar with the process of determining eligibility for Special Education Services. Specifically, eligibility under the categories of Autism, Developmental Delay, Emotional Disturbance, Hearing Impairment, ADHD (Other Health Impairment), Specific Learning Disability, Neurological Impairment, and Communication Impairment.
It seems that within the field of school psychology, you are consistently engaged in experiences that touch this domain. A school psychologist is constantly trying to keep up with the latest research. Ethical and legal standards are at the forefront of what a school psychologist does and he/she uses them in every situation they encounter. At this point in my training I feel as though I have attained a solid foundation of knowledge; nevertheless, I will continue to seek out opportunities and experiences that will further my understanding and knowledge of this domain, such as taking advantage of the supervision MSPP offers.
I foresee this to be an ever-evolving journey that never really ends. This is part of what makes the field of school psychology exciting!
Over the course of my internship experience, I have had several additional opportunities to utilize my knowledge of legal and ethical standards at my sites. The start of this school year brought on numerous changes throughout the Special Education Department in Wellesley, MA. With a new Head of the department, changes were inevitable. Some of these changes were in regard to legal and ethical practices such as sending reports through email vs. mailing them, and the organization of IEP forms. Having the opportunity to work at two different elementary schools, I was provided varying ways in which laws and ethics shape the work of a school psychologist. In addition, having two mentors has helped to shape my own preferences, beliefs, and vision for my future career as a School Psychologist.
This year I have become more familiar with the process of determining eligibility for Special Education Services. Specifically, eligibility under the categories of Autism, Developmental Delay, Emotional Disturbance, Hearing Impairment, ADHD (Other Health Impairment), Specific Learning Disability, Neurological Impairment, and Communication Impairment.
It seems that within the field of school psychology, you are consistently engaged in experiences that touch this domain. A school psychologist is constantly trying to keep up with the latest research. Ethical and legal standards are at the forefront of what a school psychologist does and he/she uses them in every situation they encounter. At this point in my training I feel as though I have attained a solid foundation of knowledge; nevertheless, I will continue to seek out opportunities and experiences that will further my understanding and knowledge of this domain, such as taking advantage of the supervision MSPP offers.
I foresee this to be an ever-evolving journey that never really ends. This is part of what makes the field of school psychology exciting!
Evidence of Competency
Problem Solving Case Study | |
File Size: | 95 kb |
File Type: |
Reaction Paper | |
File Size: | 83 kb |
File Type: |