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Ph.D. Subspecialization: Pediatric Health

Many children and youth experience significant health problems that have a marked effect on their academic performance and/or social functioning and that place them at-risk for more serious deleterious outcomes.

Leaders in both the public and private sectors have sounded a call for the development of health promotion programs that reduce the need for expensive medical interventions. There is an emerging consensus that comprehensive school health programming in full-service schools can be a cost-effective method of addressing the growing health and social problems of youth and preventing the emergence of unhealthy patterns of behavior.  

To partially meet this need, the doctoral school psychology program has developed a Health/Pediatric sub specialization for students interested in developing additional competencies beyond those already identified within the existing program.  

The overall objective of this subspecialization is to develop school psychologists as leaders in the research and practice of meeting the educational needs of children with health concerns.

At the core of preparing pediatric school psychologists are competencies for linking salient systems in promoting children’s educational success, including families, schools, healthcare providers and communities. The program aims to develop truly integrated professionals who are capable of practicing within both schools and health care settings to provide integrated services for students.

Students take two years to complete this subspecialization. To be eligible to participate, students must be at least second year doctoral students, having completed a Master's degree in a field related to school psychology (i.e., special education, psychology, human development), or at least 30 credit hours of the graduate training program at Lehigh University. Prior to entering the project, students will have attained competencies in: conducting psychological and educational assessments, designing behavioral intervention programs for students with academic and social/emotional problems, providing services through a consultative delivery model, understanding basic foundations of psychology, and applying principles of research design methodology. All students will have completed or be in the process of completing at least one independent research project.

Upon completion of this program, students will be expected to have attained the following set of competencies:

  1. Develop knowledge regarding the link between E/BD and unhealthy patterns of behavior.

  2. Develop skills in curriculum adaptations & techniques for meeting special education needs of young students with E/BD.

  3. Develop early intervention programs to prevent emergence of unhealthy patterns of behavior.

  4. Develop knowledge of medical conditions, including psychiatric disorders, that affect the adaptive functioning of students in school, family, and neighborhood settings.

  5. Develop skills in assessment of emotional & behavioral difficulties associated with health problems. 

  6. Develop skills in the evaluation of intervention and prevention programs.

  7. Develop skills in working with children with E/BD from culturally diverse backgrounds.

  8. Develop experience in dissemination of knowledge about health promotion and service delivery to E/BD.

  9. Develop knowledge and experience in facilitating collaboration among community agencies.

  10. Develop action research skills in health promotion/service delivery.

 Curriculum (total of 99 hours including the core school psychology doctoral program):

Required:

  • SchP 438 Health / Pediatric Psychology (3) 

  • SchP 439 Comprehensive School Health Programs (3) 

  • Bios  415 Neuropharmacology (3) 

Counseling Psychology and Special Education Electives (9 hours) 

(Note: Students must take at least 3 hours in Counseling & 3 hours in Special Education. Students may then elect the remaining 3 hours in either of the two areas below. )

(Note: Practicum requires 480 clock hours in a pediatric setting.)

Counseling Psychology Electives:

  • CPsy 439 Theory and Practice of Group Counseling (3)

  • CPsy 440 Intro to Family Counseling (3)

  • CPsy 442 Counseling & Therapeutic Approaches (3)

  • CPsy 445 Elementary School Guidance (3)

  • CPsy 460 Theories of Psychological Counseling (3)

  • CPsy 462 Assessment of Personality (3)

  • CPsy 480 Practicum (3) NOTE: Practicum requires 480 clock hours in a pediatric setting.

  • Others by Advisor Approval

Special Education Electives (3):

  • CPsy 352 Emotional & Behavior Disorders of Children (3) 

  • SpEd 332 Education of Individuals with Special Needs (3)  

  • SpEd 333 Physical Handicaps and Development Disabilities (3) 

  • SpEd 339 Learning Disabilities (3)   

  • SpEd 418 Life Skills and Transition Strategies (3) 

  • SpEd 419 Academic and Curricular Strategies (3)    

  • SpEd 428 Positive Behavioral Support (3)

  • SpEd 452 Assessment and Planning with Individuals with Disabilities (3)

  • SpEd 465 Advanced Methods for Inclusion (3)

  • SchP 429 Specialized Practicum in SchP (Up to 6)

  • SpEd 490 Doctoral Seminar in Special Education (Up to 6)

  • Others by Advisor Approval

Practicum: Students are required to spend 1.5 days per week within health-care sites during their two years of practicum prior to internship. (View our practicum locations.)

Internship: All students are required to complete a full year, full-time internship. It is anticipated that students will elect to complete their internship with health-care sites that have strong school linkages. (Visit our practicum locations.)