"Evaluation" under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is among the major responsibilities of school psychologists. This concluding article in the series on evaluation under the IDEA provides legal analysis and professional recommendations related to procedural appropriateness. Specifically, it addresses notices,…

The National Association of School Psychologists champions the use of evidence-based approaches to support all children and families, especially those belonging to historically marginalized groups. To ensure the protection and success of the most vulnerable students, practitioners must dedicate themselves to continually developing their ability to…

While the field advocates for a diversified and comprehensive professional role (National Association of School Psychologists, 2020), school psychologists have long spent most of their time in assessment-related activities (Farmer et al., 2021), averaging about eight cognitive evaluations monthly (Benson et al., 2020). Assessment practices have…

This article demonstrates the importance of school psychologists' understanding of which type of cognitive or developmental measure is most appropriate when working with young children with cerebral palsy (CP). Cognitive profiles vary greatly within this population and motor impairments also need to be taken into consideration. School…

As frequent consumers and disseminators of research, school psychologists have an ethical obligation to critically evaluate the findings of studies (National Association of School Psychologists, 2010); however, this can feel burdensome when studies are behind paywalls and require hours to properly scrutinize. Particularly when studies utilizing…

Pediatric chronic illnesses are characterized as conditions that last one year or more, require continuous medical intervention, and have implications for the overall functioning, including neuropsychoeducational functioning, of a child. Students with chronic illnesses are at risk for compromised cognitive and physical functioning, resulting in a…

It has been known for several years that there are shortages of school psychologists. Effects of these shortages include unmanageable caseloads, the inability of school psychologists to provide prevention and intervention services or to regularly consult with school personnel and families, limited access to mental and behavioral health services…

Functional assessments, while considered the "gold standard" for behavioral assessments, are not often implemented in school settings due the extensive amount of time, resources, and expertise required. The interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA), is a timely, comprehensive, and accurate method for conducting such…

Tourette's disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects many school-age children and adolescents across the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2019), one in every 160 school-age children in the United States has Tourette's disorder. School psychologists are called to work with these students…

Many school psychologists work in schools that have low proficiency rates on the year-end test of mathematics, which is concerning because math proficiency is a powerful indicator of long-term academic success. Addressing math instructional problems is not easy work. One reason the authors examine is that the work is so challenging for school…

Early identification of ASD allows for clinical intervention through mental and behavioral health supports, potentially providing individualized services in the educational setting. This article highlights the research-to-practice gap that exists within evaluations for ASD in schools. Lack of training, variability in assessment guidelines,…

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders in children, affecting approximately 0.5% to 1% of children through the age of 16 years. Between 20,000 and 45,000 children are diagnosed annually with newly recognized seizures with the median age of onset between 5 and 6 years of age. In 2018 the Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimated…

Epilepsy represents a common neuropsychological disorder in children, which presents a myriad of cognitive, neuropsychological, social, emotional, behavioral, and learning problems. School psychologists are in a unique position to provide psychoeducation, assessment, intervention, and general supports for students with epilepsy and their families.…

Noonan syndrome (NS) is a common genetic disorder that can cause a vast array of health conditions. Characteristics of NS include specific facial features as well as a higher chance of developing congenital heart disease, failure to thrive, and vision abnormalities. These deficits may manifest as behavioral and emotional difficulties, leaving…

Factor analysis is a versatile class of psychometric techniques used by researchers to provide insight into the psychological dimensions (factors) that may account for the relationships among variables in a given dataset. The primary goal of a factor analysis is to determine a more parsimonious set of variables (i.e., fewer than the number of…