Counseling Psychological Services
Counseling is a related service that is required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education and is provided by qualified professionals such as Licensed Specialists in School Psychology (LSSP), Psychologists, Social Workers, and Guidance Counselors.
The purpose of counseling is to assist children in the areas of:
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Academic achievement (e.g. addressing future planning related to setting and reaching academic goals)
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Personal or social development (e.g. developing self-knowledge, making effective decisions, learning health choices, and improving responsibility)
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Career development (e.g. developing a positive attitude towards learning and recognizing and utilizing academic strengths in non-school settings)
Counseling as a related service is available for special education students who are unsuccessful due to an emotional component impacting school performance or for students that qualify on the autism spectrum with severe social skills deficits that impair school performance. Students eligible for services must display significant emotional or social deficits.
School performance deficits may include but are not limited to:
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A pattern of failing grades, truancy or excessive absences, or poor behavioral functioning due to an emotional component
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Significant deficits in emotional functioning
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Students on the autism spectrum who may display significant difficulties with social skills rather than difficulties with failing grades or behavior disruptions.
Psychological Services are generally provided by a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP) or a Psychologist, but some services are also appropriately provided by other trained personnel, including school social workers and counselors. A Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP) means a person who is trained to address psychological and behavioral problems manifested in and associated with educational systems by utilizing psychological concepts and methods in the school setting to improve the learning, adjustment, and behavior of students.
Psychological services as a related service, according to IDEA, includes:
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Administering psychological and educational tests, and other assessment procedures
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Interpreting assessment results
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Obtaining, integrating, and interpreting information about student behavior and conditions related to learning
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Consulting with other staff members in planning school programs to meet the special education needs of students as indicated by psychological tests, interviews, direct observation, and behavioral evaluations
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Planning and managing a program of psychological services, including psychological counseling for students and parents
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Assisting in developing positive behavioral intervention strategies