![]() Unlike ADHD, ED arises from a multitude of causes, students with ED have no common natural history, and effective ED treatments are almost as diverse as the ED students themselves. ED is an administrative label, ADHD a clinical one. As seen in the preceding paragraph, ADHD is a condition with a relatively homogeneous cause(s), natural history, and effective treatment. For example, ADHD is a diagnosis with important scientific and clinical advantages lacking ED. Critically, however, ED in contrast to ADHD, as one mental health example, are conceptually and practically dissimilar from one another. Emotional disturbance (ED) is one such IDEA category. Identification consists of documenting each student who falls into a disability category and offering appropriate services (in the form of an Individualized Educational Program IEP). As a matter of practice, however, LEAs often invest MDTs and school psychologists with the responsibility for identifying students. The obligation to search for and identify eligible students is entitled Child Find. Most important for this discussion is LEAs’ universal obligation to identify each student with an IDEA-defined disability and to provide them a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Nonetheless, Zirkel (2018) addresses the possibility that LEAs might delegate authority to school psychologists regarding implementation of parts of IDEA. ![]() To be clear, however, the provision of mandated services is a responsibility of the Local Educational Agency (LEA), not necessarily a school psychologist. They need to be aware of relevant laws, policies, and rules to fulfill their provider role (Mire, Schoger & Ramclam, 2020). They are protectors of students’ rights and they are guarantors of promised services. In contrast, with their second hat in place, school psychologists (and the multidisciplinary teams with whom they work) fulfill legal responsibilities. With their first (clinician) hat firmly in place, school psychologists are thus prepared to fulfill their ethical obligation, “the application of their professional expertise for the purpose of promoting improvement in the quality of life of students, families, and school communities (NASP, 2020, p. ADHD, for instance, is associated with brain dysfunction (characterize by impulsivity and executive dysfunction), its course is chronic, and it is treatable with established educational, behavioral, and psychopharmacological interventions. This is so because a confirmed mental health diagnosis can clarify the etiology of a problem, its likely course (and whether it might spontaneously resolve), as well as proven, disorder-specific interventions. Indeed, establishing a diagnosis is not trivial. At times, they must also consider mental health diagnoses. Working in their clinician role, school psychologists also discover the dynamics of social-emotional situations and elucidate students’ personality characteristics. Clinicians figure out the nature of problems, the context in which problems occur, students’ strengths, and they make recommendations. In the first instance, assessment is necessary to assist others with whom they consult. ![]() When they don the second hat, however, their role is quasi-administrative and quasi-legal. As such, they seek to understand the causes and progression of individuals’ problems, as well as how to alleviate suffering and improve quality of life. When they don the first hat, their role is much like their applied brothers and sisters in clinical psychology and counseling psychology. Most school psychologists wear at least two hats. ![]()
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