Ph.D. Subspecialization: Pediatric School Psychology Endorsement

The purpose of the proposed project is to train leaders in Pediatric School Psychology, a doctoral subspecialization that is focused on developing school psychologists who can facilitate linkages among inner city school, health, mental health, and family systems to address the educational, psychological, and health needs of students with or at risk for E/BD. The specific goals of the training program are focused on:

• System level change

• Providing a continuum of service delivery in urban schools 

• Leadership education and development

• Research generation and dissemination

Children with emotional and behavioral disabilities (E/BD) have a particularly high risk for serious health and academic problems. Not only are children with E/BD at greater risk for poorer outcomes than children without disabilities, but they are at increased risk for negative outcomes when compared with children from other disability groups (Walker, Zeller, Close, Webber, & Gresham, 1999). Students with E/BD are likewise much more likely to show academic skill deficiencies and drop out of school (Knitzer, Steinberg, & Fleisch, 1990). The current prevalence of children with E/BD in schools throughout the U.S. is about 1% (U.S. Dept. of Education, 1999), although this rate is presumed to be a substantial underestimate of children with E/BD (Telzrow, 1999). At any point in time about 20% of the school-age population could be diagnosed with one or more psychiatric disorders (Doll, 1996).

The prevalence of health and academic problems among children with or at-risk for E/BD has created a strong need for professionals who can: (a) provide an effective interface among the medical, educational, and mental health systems; (b) work effectively with the community and family; and (c) impact the key transition points in schools for these students. Within the schools, few professionals have the training needed to effectively address each of these domains. Among school professionals, psychologists are in a unique position to acquire training and skills regarding the interface of the medical, educational, and mental health systems of care and to offer comprehensive, uninterrupted services for children with or at-risk for E/BD beginning in the preschool years.

For students selected as trainees in the U.S. Department of Education sponsored Leadership Training project (H325D100019), completion of the Pediatric School Psychology Endorsement curriculum is required and involves 8 additional credit hours beyond the regular doctoral requirements. 

Between 2010 and 2015, a total of 8 students will be accepted into the Leadership Training project. These students complete the curriculum requirements to receive an Endorsement in Pediatric School Psychology from the Department of Education and Human Services at Lehigh University. They receive full tuition and stipend support for their participation. Between 1997-2010, 24 students have completed the endorsement curriculum.

Students take four years to complete the Leadership Training Project. To be eligible to participate, students must be at least a third year doctoral student, 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 their qualifying project.

Leadership Training Project (26 hours)

• SchP 438 Health/Pediatric Psychology (3)

• SchP 439 Comprehensive School Health Programs (3)

• SchP 440 Applications of Pediatric School Psychology (6)

• SchP 429 Special Topics: Leadership Seminar in 

• Ped Sch Psy - Practice and Prevention (2)

• SchP 429 Special Topics: Leadership Seminar in 

• Ped Sch Psy - Research (2)

• SchP 429 Special Topics: Leadership Seminar in 

• Ped Sch Psy - Research & Supervision (2)

• SpEd 490 Doctoral Seminar: Early Intervention for students with E/BD (3)

• SchP 442 Practicum in School Psychology: Health Care Setting (10)

• SchP 442 Practicum in School Psychology: School Setting (6)

Courses taken as Part of Endorsement that are also part of Core Program:

• Educ 491 Clinical Psychopharmacology (3)

• EdL 400 Intro to Organizational Development or Equivalent (3)

• SchP 437 Child Psychopathology (3)

• SchP 4XX Dissertation Proposal Seminar (3)

• SchP 499 Dissertation

• SchP 444  Doctoral Internship

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.)

Practicum: Students participating in the Leadership Training Project participate in three years of intensive practicum experiences. Each year, students spend 3 days per week in school and/or health-care sites. During the year that students are placed at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, students spend 2 days per week in the health-care site and 1 day per week in the schools. During the year students are placed in the Lehigh Valley health care sites (Lehigh Valley hospital or Sacred Heart Hospital), students are placed 2 days per week in the Allentown School District. The participating school sites in which students are placed have already established linkages with health-care sites. This combination allows students to attain competencies that will permit them to serve as liaisons in addressing the health-care, educational, and psychological needs of children. (View our practicum locations.)

Dissertation/Research Project: Student participants in the Leadership Training project are expected to design and implement at least one research project related to meeting the medical, educational, and psychological needs of children and youth. Examples of some more recently finished projects are:

• nutrition education and improving eating habits of children in an urban setting

  • Jessica Blom-Hoffman (competed the full two-year endorsement). Project is a result of a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. This project served as Dr. Blum-Hoffman's dissertation.

• children with asthma and significant allergies

  • David Guresko-Moore, Increasing adherence to medication regimens of children using asthma inhalers.

  • Kristin Stiles, (completed the full two-year endorsement). Understanding the peer relationships of children with asthma: The use of sociometric status and social networks." (Doctoral dissertation)medication monitoring

  • Michelle Nebrig. The effects of Bupropion Hydrochloride on the classroom performance of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

• children with chronic illnesses

Examples of some projects from past years are:

• Violence Prevention among Youth

• The effects of direct instruction on the acquisition of money skills for a student with learning disabilities.

• Effective asthma management in children.

• Cystic Fibrosis: A review for school psychologists. 

• Pharmacological treatment of seizure disorders.

• Felbamate: A new pharmacological treatment for children with epilepsy.

• Depression in children and adolescents: Biological etiologies and treatments. 

• Cognitive-behavioral treatment for childhood and adolescent depression. 

• Developed and implemented culturally sensitive group sessions on building self-esteem in Philadelphia School District placement. 

• Ethics and ethnicity: Guidelines for the Pediatric School Psychologist. 

• The effects of self-monitoring academic productivity on the performance of students at-risk for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. 

• The relationship between substance abuse and violence among minority adolescents. 

• School-based relaxation training for children and adolescents with chronic tension-type headache: Direct and collateral effects.

• The relationship between substance abuse and violence among minority adolescents. 

• Cracking the code: Teaching letter-sound corresponded using direct instruction techniques to a 2nd grade student (as part of participation in on-going research project at Rhoads, Reading Rescue).

• Seizures and epilepsy: Information for School Psychologists.

• Side effects of carbamazepine in children with epilepsy: Self-reported side effects versus parent and teacher reports. 

• Self-injurious behavior: Biological mechanisms and pharmacological treatments. 

• Pharmacological treatment of aggression. 

• Improving compliance to asthma management: A comparison of self-management and token economy interventions.

• Presentation on Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder at Grand Rounds at Lehigh Valley Hospital for Residents.

• In-service presentation for pediatric clinic staff at Lehigh Valley Hospital on Pediatric School Psychology, a new direction for psychological services. 

• Outlook on life and perception of contracting HIV in the future, presentation using the ADD-Health data base.

• Grant to McDonald’s Foundation, A Healthy Start: School Breakfast Promotion. (Not Funded).

• Grant to PA Dept. of Education, A Healthy Start: School Breakfast Promotion. (Funded; will serve as dissertation).

• AIDS prevention programs for children and adolescents: A review of programs that have applied theories of health behavior change. 

• Dissertation Proposal: Intervening in Dietary Habits of African-American Children: Outcome Evaluation of the Every Day, Lots of Ways Interdisciplinary Nutrition Education Curriculum.

• Grant to establish ADHD evaluation center at LVH (funded- Anderson Foundation).

A. Systems Level Change 

1. Acquire advanced knowledge about the various systems influencing child development, learning and school performance and their interface.

2. Acquire knowledge of school law and its impact on the delivery of educational services to students with or at-risk for E/BD.

3. Develop skills in systems-level change.

B. Delivering Services in Urban, High Poverty, Consistently Poor Performing  Settings 

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

2. Develop skills in universal design, curriculum adaptations, and techniques for meeting high need special education needs of students with E/BD within general education settings.

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 the evaluation of a continuum of prevention services for students at risk or with E/BD.

6. Develop skills in working with children with E/BD from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

C. Policy / Advocacy: Leadership Education & Development 

1. Develop skills in supervision of psychological service provision to students with or at risk for E/BD.

2. Develop skills in supervision of psychological service provision to students with or at risk for E/BD.

D. Research Methodology: Research Generation and Dissemination 

1. Develop research skills in health promotion /service delivery.

E. Research Methodology: Research Generation and Dissemination 

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