Supervision and collaborative practice in educational and developmental psychology

Psychologists have a vital role to play in schools. From identifying and treating complex psychopathology, through to using psychology as a tool to enrich lives by improving learning, facilitating positive developmental trajectories, and supporting social justice and advocacy, a school psychologist works in a complex and diverse space. In this way, any single day could include questions such as whether a child is socially and intellectually prepared to progress into the next grade; consulting with educators about managing challenging behaviours; conducting comprehensive assessments for cognitive, academic, and psychosocial referrals; writing reports and liaising with other health professionals; providing diagnoses to parents and guardians; providing counselling and evidence-based interventions for young people, teachers, and even parents; and responding to crises and life-threatening events.