Practicum

The Academic Intervention Consultation Services provides academic assessment and intervention services for students who demonstrate difficulty with basic academic skills, such as math, reading, spelling, and writing. This service also provides consultation services to parents and teachers of students who are struggling academically. Consultations and workshops on various topics are also provided at schools and for school districts.

Two types of child and adolescent intervention services are offered: clinic-based and classroom-based intervention. Clinic-based intervention involves individual counseling for students with troubling behaviors or concerns. These students are referred for treatment by a parent, school representative, physician, social service agency, or as a result of an evaluation by the PSC. Classroom-based intervention involves addressing a focal concern within a classroom group. Typically, topics covered are social/communication skills with classmates or compliance with teacher directions. Occasionally, there is a tragedy such as a sudden death that impacts a large number of students and is best addressed in a group setting. All classroom-based interventions are delivered either by a school psychology trainee clinician, a teacher together with a PSC graduate clinician, or a teacher in consultation with a PSC graduate clinician.

The Child and Adolescent Assessment Service provides psychological assessment for children and adolescents who are experiencing learning and/or adjustment problems. Also, assessment and parent/school consultation services are provided for children and adolescents gifted with advanced development.

The College Learning Assessment Service offers standardized testing primarily for college students with a history of learning disabilities or who think they might have learning disabilities. The value of testing is that results often clarify for college students exactly what, if any, diagnosable learning disabilities they might have. Plans can be designed for college students to adjust to new learning techniques and, if indicated, to seek assistance with the learning process.

The Psychological Services Center (PSC) is operated by the Department of Psychology for training, research, and services. The PSC is located on the fourth floor of Fairchild Hall. This space consists of a suite of rooms including five rooms for interviews and/or testing, a large well-equipped playroom, a conference room with reference materials, and a library of tests and testing equipment. PSC services are available to the public at a cost lower than in the private sector. PSC clients represent a range of educational, social, and emotional problems of children and their families. Services include psychological assessments, individual, family and group therapy, home intervention programs, and consultations with educational, medical, and other agencies involved with children.