The use of recommended practices by preschool/early childhood special education school psychologists in the Midwest.

摘要

Early intervention is an important aspect of educating children with developmental delays. School psychological services with the preschool and early childhood population represents a relatively new area of practice for many school psychologists. Consequently, little research has been conducted regarding standards of practice and effectiveness of services. This study sought to develop a valid document that would comprehensively describe recommended practices for preschool school psychologists based upon theory and research. The document was written and then expert validation was sought. The principles from this document were used to develop a survey. The survey was mailed to 364 preschool school psychologists in three mid-western states to determine effectiveness of current practices. There were 200 usable returned surveys used for data analysis. From this sample, factor analysis and Varimax rotation, in addition to reliability analysis, were used and ten reliable factors were constructed. Quantitative data analysis from this survey concluded that improvements are needed with individual and program evaluation practices, family-centered interventions, and evaluations with young children. Qualitative data attained from the survey concluded that there is a need for more time, resources, and staff in preschool school psychology, in addition to more comprehensive training specific to the needs of this population.