School Psychologists

[psych84]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

So a few questions. I had some questions answered by PM from a valued member on here, but thought I'd ask the whole forum questions he didn't know/I didn't ask.

1. Can School Psychologists in the USA diagnose things such as autism/ADHD/mood disorders? (or is it restricted to LD's)?

2. If so, in the states with prescribing power, can they prescribe medication?

 

[AcronymAllergy]

So a few questions. I had some questions answered by PM from a valued member on here, but thought I'd ask the whole forum questions he didn't know/I didn't ask.

1. Can School Psychologists in the USA diagnose things such as autism/ADHD/mood disorders? (or is it restricted to LD's)?

2. If so, in the states with prescribing power, can they prescribe medication?

To provide what little help I might be able to:

1) If they're licensed as psychologists, then yes, they should be able to diagnose pretty much anything in the DSM (although whether or not they feel competent doing so is up to them, and will probably depend on the nature of their prior training)

2) I believe the stipulation is that you need to be a licensed psychologist, so I think technically school psychologists would qualify (if they're licensed). I'd probably double check with the appropriate state board, though. Also, school psychologists may have a harder time finding physicians with whom to collaborate during their non-independent practice years if they're located within a school. Not impossible, just perhaps a bit more difficult.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

There are some wrinkles w. school psychologists....
-Must be doctoral level to be licensed as a psychologist (some grandfathered exceptions, but for all intents and purposes it is restricted to doctoral level)
-Must be licensed (not just certified or similar, which is unique to a school setting)

 

[psych84]

There are some wrinkles w. school psychologists....
-Must be doctoral level to be licensed as a psychologist (some grandfathered exceptions, but for all intents and purposes it is restricted to doctoral level)
-Must be licensed (not just certified or similar, which is unique to a school setting)

We don't seem to have such wrinkles in Canada. We don't legally differentiate between Masters-level and Phd-level, (school psychology or otherwise)...both graduate degrees lead to a license/chartered psychologist status. Both also tend to work in similar contexts (hospitals, clinics), so differentiation is mostly the realization that Phd's should deal with more complex pathology, and that a Psychologist 1 (Master's) while working independently should report to a Psychologist 2 (Phd).

For one province:

"Alberta Health Services employs both Psychologists I and Psychologists II. The Psychologist I work independently reporting to a Psychologist II, director or manager. The Psychologist I provides psychological services involving assessment, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and program application. The Psychologist II provides similar services but also has experience with complex client pathologies and may work as an operational supervisor or team leader. As a clinical lead the Psychologist II is involved with program planning, developing standards and analyzing work statistics of their assigned team."

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Just to add to what T4C mentioned, a masters-level school psychologist would not be able to prescribe in LA, NM, or IL, as the legislation in all three states requires a doctoral degree.

 

[psych84]

2) I believe the stipulation is that you need to be a licensed psychologist, so I think technically school psychologists would qualify (if they're licensed). I'd probably double check with the appropriate state board, though. Also, school psychologists may have a harder time finding physicians with whom to collaborate during their non-independent practice years if they're located within a school. Not impossible, just perhaps a bit more difficult.

I assume you mean because of working in a more suburban environment?

Also where else do school psychologist work if not at school? How do school psychologists have independent practices?

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I assume you mean because of working in a more suburban environment?

Also where else do school psychologist work if not at school? How do school psychologists have independent practices?

Well, more directly, because they work in a school where there aren't likely to be many physicians around. This is in contrast to folks who work in medical centers, joint group practices, or even university counseling centers where there are usually physicians also on staff.

I don't know that there are many who do it, but school psychologists do occasionally work in hospitals or other medical settings. They need to be licensed as psychologists, though, rather than being limited to provide services explicitly in schools. This usually results from prior training at non-school settings while in grad school in addition to a completing clinically-oriented internship.

 

[psych84]

Well, more directly, because they work in a school where there aren't likely to be many physicians around. This is in contrast to folks who work in medical centers, joint group practices, or even university counseling centers where there are usually physicians also on staff.

I don't know that there are many who do it, but school psychologists do occasionally work in hospitals or other medical settings. They need to be licensed as psychologists, though, rather than being limited to provide services explicitly in schools. This usually results from prior training at non-school settings while in grad school in addition to a completing clinically-oriented internship.

So what would you suggest for me? I'm in Canada, so I can be licensed even at the Masters level. For the program I'm applying to there are three practicums, an internship (1600 hours), and then will of course have to do 1600hrs of supervised. How would you divide that between school/non-school?

 

[AcronymAllergy]

So what would you suggest for me? I'm in Canada, so I can be licensed even at the Masters level. For the program I'm applying to there are three practicums, an internship (1600 hours), and then will of course have to do 1600hrs of supervised. How would you divide that between school/non-school?

Honestly, I really have no idea, as I'm not at all familiar with Canada's licensing laws. Maybe someone else here can help you figure out if attending a school psych masters program will automatically preclude you from practicing outside of schools.

In the US, I don't know that it'd be possible for a masters-level school psych provider to practice in a non-school environment. The masters-level licenses are generally restricted to specific degree types (e.g., MSW, MFT, counseling).

 

[psych84]

As I said, it wouldn't preclude me from working in private practice, community, health, etc. I know that 100% sure. I just wasn't sure how a private practice made sense for someone that did School Psychology. As I tried to explain in post #4 in this thread, Masters-level psychologists (including school psychologists) are licensed psychologists, and they are not restricted to school. This is the case at least for the province I'm reffering to (Alberta).

 

[mcvcm92]

Honestly, I really have no idea, as I'm not at all familiar with Canada's licensing laws. Maybe someone else here can help you figure out if attending a school psych masters program will automatically preclude you from practicing outside of schools.

In the US, I don't know that it'd be possible for a masters-level school psych provider to practice in a non-school environment. The masters-level licenses are generally restricted to specific degree types (e.g., MSW, MFT, counseling).

I just wanted to verify that masters level school psychology students rarely complete practica/internships outside of the school setting. Occasionally, they will do practica in an on-campus clinic of some sorts.

 

[psych84]

I just wanted to verify that masters level school psychology students rarely complete practica/internships outside of the school setting. Occasionally, they will do practica in an on-campus clinic of some sorts.

Are you in Canada? You are basing this on what?

The program I'm looking at 2 of the practicums are in the Uni clinic.

 

[psych84]

The University is a school...I assume you would still be seeing students in that setting.

Many M.ed programs in Canada are called School Psychology/Clinical (Applied) Child Psychology. Obviously whether it is an actual school, or even a community-setting, you would be seeing children. But no, the University Clinic is not a school setting for the children under assessment (as children 18yrs and under don't tend to attend University at that age lol)

So all the programs in Canada are quite comparable. In general, you have all three practicums at the Uni clinic generally. And then you can choose whether you want your internship to be in a school or community setting. Then of course you can choose where you want your supervised work to be.

Again, how we do things in Canada is not the same as in the USA. Our school psychologists are not restricted to school settings.

 

[WisNeuro]

I think the point was that whether or not it was a K-12 or a university, it's still considered a school setting. Now, what type of work you do in that setting may differ on depending on if you are doing more traditional school psych work or clinical psych work. School psychologists do not work with only children.

 

[psych84]

I think the point was that whether or not it was a K-12 or a university, it's still considered a school setting. Now, what type of work you do in that setting may differ on depending on if you are doing more traditional school psych work or clinical psych work. School psychologists do not work with only children.

I see what you are saying. Most Canadian M.ed programs balance traditional school psych work/clinical psych work.

 

[stacy thiry]

Hey there psych84 - I have an M.Ed in school & applied child psychology- in fact, it sounds like the program you are describing is the program I graduated from. I am currently registering in Alberta (I have provisional status). Maybe I can answer any questions you have. School psych and clinical psych ARE different and are separate areas of practice within the college of alberta psychologists. I completed 1600 hours of supervised practice AFTER finishing the masters degree (with 3 practicums and 1 1200 hour internship) in school psychology. I have also obtained training on ADOS and ADI (so I could diagnose autism).

 

[failureisnotfatal]

From what I have been told, the only person that can officially diagnose ADHD is a medical doctor.

 

[smalltownpsych]

From what I have been told, the only person that can officially diagnose ADHD is a medical doctor.

I don't know what you mean by "officially diagnose", but this is not accurate for most purposes. The medical doctors including both family practice and psychiatry will refer kids to psychologists all of the time for assessments and one of the most common referral questions is "does this kid have ADHD". Although a psychiatrist is probably more likely to refer for assessment only if they have a degree of uncertainty about the diagnosis themselves.

 

[failureisnotfatal]

I don't know what you mean by "officially diagnose", but this is not accurate for most purposes. The medical doctors including both family practice and psychiatry will refer kids to psychologists all of the time for assessments and one of the most common referral questions is "does this kid have ADHD". Although a psychiatrist is probably more likely to refer for assessment only if they have a degree of uncertainty about the diagnosis themselves.

I am in Texas, so this may be state specific, but my professors have told me that the only person that can officially give a child a diagnosis of ADHD is a medical doctor. A school psychologist can assess them and say that they believe that the child has ADHD, but the official diagnosis comes from the medical doctor. According to him, the schools will not take any action until the parents have gone back to the doctor and gotten an official ADHD diagnose after the assessment. He could be mistaken, but that is what he tells us.

 

[WisNeuro]

I used to practice in Texas at a VA. I have diagnosed ADHD/LD in Veterans and my reports alone have been used by Universities/colleges there to obtain accommodations. Maybe K-12 is different, who knows with them. But that is absolutely not true at the collegiate level when it comes to diagnosis and accommodations. Also has not been true for the other two states that I have practiced in.

 

[failureisnotfatal]

I used to practice in Texas at a VA. I have diagnosed ADHD/LD in Veterans and my reports alone have been used by Universities/colleges there to obtain accommodations. Maybe K-12 is different, who knows with them. But that is absolutely not true at the collegiate level when it comes to diagnosis and accommodations. Also has not been true for the other two states that I have practiced in.

Interesting! It may be the K-12 distinction, I'm not certain. I am at the specialist level, so there may also be a difference between what a specialist can do and what a PhD can do. Or he could just be wrong. It would not be the first time. He seems to be generally very confused by Texas law. But he seemed very adamant about this when the topic came up.

 

[psych844]

Damn, I forgot my password for that last account..now I use this one. Almost the same name! lol

 

[failureisnotfatal]

Damn, I forgot my password for that last account..now I use this one. Almost the same name! lol

🤣🤣🤣

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I am in Texas, so this may be state specific, but my professors have told me that the only person that can officially give a child a diagnosis of ADHD is a medical doctor. A school psychologist can assess them and say that they believe that the child has ADHD, but the official diagnosis comes from the medical doctor. According to him, the schools will not take any action until the parents have gone back to the doctor and gotten an official ADHD diagnose after the assessment. He could be mistaken, but that is what he tells us.

Side comment: There is a ton of encroachment and scope of practice issues in TX, so it's not surprising that there might be confusion. TX is also where "school neuropsychologist" (a bogus title) was created, so who knows what kind of stuff is being pushed down there.

Actual comment: As for who can Dx…it should be a team effort. Pediatrician to do a medical eval, neuropsychologist to do testing/eval, parent and teacher input, etc. Instead a PCP usually gets pressured into making the dx, they rx meds, and viola…the stimulant works…therefore the child has ADHD. The dx is proven by clinical response to the med, even though the vast majority of ppl report effectiveness when using a stimulant.

 

[smalltownpsych]

The school system might very well have a policy that the diagnosis has to come from a medical doctor so I guess what you meant by "official diagnosis" is one that the school would recognize. School systems can make all sorts of policies about all sorts of things and they are often contradictory, arbitrary, and arcane. There is the state policy, then the local school board policy, then the principal's policy, then the teacher's policy, and then you have the kids trying to find the gaps in all of these policies. I just love big systems.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Agreed with the above--a psychologist can diagnose ADHD, as it's considered a mental illness/mental health condition. How accurate said diagnosis is, and whether or not a specific school or school district will accept it, can vary widely.

For kiddos, current gold standard is psychoeducational evaluation with included classroom observation and multi-informant report. That'd be the gold standard for adults, too, if it were possible and realistic.

 

[failureisnotfatal]

Agreed with the above--a psychologist can diagnose ADHD, as it's considered a mental illness/mental health condition. How accurate said diagnosis is, and whether or not a specific school or school district will accept it, can vary widely

My professor kept stressing that ADHD had to be diagnosed by a doctor because it is considered a medical condition here in the schools. Again, I don't know how correct his information was, but he was under the impression that it would be considered a medical condition and not a mental illness.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

My professor kept stressing that ADHD had to be diagnosed by a doctor because it is considered a medical condition here in the schools. Again, I don't know how correct his information was, but he was under the impression that it would be considered a medical condition and not a mental illness.

Could be an odd stipulation with that particular school district, then.

 

[WisNeuro]

Could be an odd stipulation with that particular school district, then.

Yes, there are statewide laws, and then there are district-wide guidelines. Similarly, each college/university has its own little idiosyncrasies when it comes to what they want and how they want it documented for accommodation.
I doubt that professor was accurate in his statement. If he is, it would be codified in the state educational statutes. You could always ask for a citation.

 

[failureisnotfatal]

Could be an odd stipulation with that particular school district, then.

Could be. This area is a little odd. I have already had one big mix up. My professor told us to attend ARD meetings (which a lot of schools won't allow unless you are on internship), but the school psychologist I talked to said that what he was describing was actually an RTI meeting. It was a mess. We also had a long debate about texas law as it relates to "duty to warn" and now confusing it was.

So, I would not be shocked if he was wrong.

 

[WisNeuro]

Could be. This area is a little odd. I have already had one big mix up. My professor told us to attend ARD meetings (which a lot of schools won't allow unless you are on internship), but the school psychologist I talked to said that what he was describing was actually an RTI meeting. It was a mess. We also had a long debate about texas law as it relates to "duty to warn" and now confusing it was.

So, I would not be shocked if he was wrong.

AFAIK, Texas never adopted the Tarasoff decision into its own statutes.

 

[failureisnotfatal]

AFAIK, Texas never adopted the Tarasoff decision into its own statutes.

Yes, and this is what is so confusing, because Texas does have a policy about this, but it's very oddly worded. And I think it also said you would not warn the person either way, but you could tell the police, who may or may not tell the person.

It has been a confusing class altogether!

 

[PsyDr]

My professor kept stressing that ADHD had to be diagnosed by a doctor because it is considered a medical condition here in the schools. Again, I don't know how correct his information was, but he was under the impression that it would be considered a medical condition and not a mental illness.

Your professor is an idiot. The first word in that diagnosis is attention. Guess how you figure out if there is an attention problem. You measure it. Guess whose job it is to measure cognitive functions? Hint: they frequent this board. Same thing for the dementias, which in the dsm4 had memory impairment as the key criteria. It would be useless to send someone for neuropsych testing and then get a report back that said, "gee bob, I can't give you a diagnosis but memory is kinda f'ed." .

 

[Pragma]

Your professor is an idiot. The first word in that diagnosis is attention. Guess how you figure out if there is an attention problem. You measure it. Guess whose job it is to measure cognitive functions? Hint: they frequent this board. Same thing for the dementias, which in the dsm4 had memory impairment as the key criteria. It would be useless to send someone for neuropsych testing and then get a report back that said, "gee bob, I can't give you a diagnosis but memory is kinda f'ed." .

If only we could get a primary care physician to make sense of all of these numbers and give us a diagnosis! Wouldn't that be a godsend?!

 

[psych844]

Hey there psych84 - I have an M.Ed in school & applied child psychology- in fact, it sounds like the program you are describing is the program I graduated from. I am currently registering in Alberta (I have provisional status). Maybe I can answer any questions you have. School psych and clinical psych ARE different and are separate areas of practice within the college of alberta psychologists. I completed 1600 hours of supervised practice AFTER finishing the masters degree (with 3 practicums and 1 1200 hour internship) in school psychology. I have also obtained training on ADOS and ADI (so I could diagnose autism).

Was able to get in contact with the person I'm quoting here. She's been really helpful/nice!

 

[smalltownpsych]

My professor kept stressing that ADHD had to be diagnosed by a doctor because it is considered a medical condition here in the schools. Again, I don't know how correct his information was, but he was under the impression that it would be considered a medical condition and not a mental illness.

Mental illness is a medical condition. I am sure that most psychiatrists who are the medical doctors who treat mental illness would agree with that statement. None of the medical doctors that I work with have a problem with psychologists diagnosing mental illnesses and would not challenge that as within our scope of practice. In fact, most docs who aren't psychiatrist are looking for us to provide the diagnosis. Maybe the school district sees it differently, but then again they don't have to follow standards of care or deal with malpractice suits when they don't.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

OP, based on what you have written, your professor sounds like he is not very well informed and/or his view is more opinion than fact. The experts for pediatric ADHD are pediatric neuropsychologists who work in conjunction with a family doc and sometimes neurologist/other physicians.

 

[deleted343839]

I am in Texas, so this may be state specific, but my professors have told me that the only person that can officially give a child a diagnosis of ADHD is a medical doctor.

No, that's not correct, and not even in Texas. This is a myth that will not die. In fact, pediatricians and family medicine physicians often want to see a neuropsych eval with a diagnosis before they prescribe stimulant meds.

 

[ClinicalABA]

So a few questions. I had some questions answered by PM from a valued member on here, but thought I'd ask the whole forum questions he didn't know/I didn't ask.

1. Can School Psychologists in the USA diagnose things such as autism/ADHD/mood disorders? (or is it restricted to LD's)?

As other's have mentioned, laws vary from state to state, and can be confusing. In regards to autism spectrum disorder, in my state (MA), there may not be any restriction on a school psychologist diagnosing ASD (other than general guidelines about not doing things you're not qualified to do). I know several school psychologists who conduct ASD evals. However, the state law mandating insurance coverage for autism requires that the diagnosis be made by a "licensed physician" or "licensed psychologist", and in this state "licensed psychologist" and "licensed school psychologist" are different things- the former requires a doctoral degree. The ASD diagnosis by a the school psychologist may qualify the student for special education services, but an insurance company will not accept it as proof of diagnosis- they will require it form a psychologist or physician.
Across the border in the state of CT (less than 10 miles/16 km from my office), a licensed clinical social worker also can give a qualifying diagnosis for insurance funded treatment. These differing regulations can be very confusing for practitioners, as well as put families in a bind when they move from one state to the next and are looking for services for their child.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

As other's have mentioned, laws vary from state to state, and can be confusing. In regards to autism spectrum disorder, in my state (MA), there may not be any restriction on a school psychologist diagnosing ASD (other than general guidelines about not doing things you're not qualified to do). I know several school psychologists who conduct ASD evals. However, the state law mandating insurance coverage for autism requires that the diagnosis be made by a "licensed physician" or "licensed psychologist", and in this state "licensed psychologist" and "licensed school psychologist" are different things- the former requires a doctoral degree. The ASD diagnosis by a the school psychologist may qualify the student for special education services, but an insurance company will not accept it as proof of diagnosis- they will require it form a psychologist or physician.
Across the border in the state of CT (less than 10 miles/16 km from my office), a licensed clinical social worker also can give a qualifying diagnosis for insurance funded treatment. These differing regulations can be very confusing for practitioners, as well as put families in a bind when they move from one state to the next and are looking for services for their child.

Wow. How the heck….

 

[ClinicalABA]

Wow. How the heck….

There's a lot of factors that go into state laws, such as considerations for the availability of types of clinicians, as well as input from lobbying groups. I'll do so asking around to see how licsw ended up on the CT autism mandate. Im not sure it's a bad thing- a well trained licsw can conduct an ASD eval (particularly with young kids) just as well as a psychologist. I received my ASD dx specific training post grad school and post-postdoc. No reason for it to be the domain of psychologists only. We actually can't meet the need and could use some well trained help

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Proper eval for various peds/dev disorders is tough, which is why I am skeptical. Do they SWers get training in the ADOS-2, ADI-R, etc? From what I recall from fellowship (we had joint didactics with peds neuro) there are a ton of rule outs for ASD. There are just so many BAD diagnosticians out there when it comes to peds dx's that my first reaction is usually concern.

Full disclosure…some of the worst Dx'ing I've seen has come from psychologists and school psychologists who weren't properly trained to evaluate ASD, so it isn't a turf thing…it truly is about the learning curve of proper evaluation for ASD.

 

[psych844]

School psych really interests me but i feel it's one area that in an instant Psychologists could lose access to. (ie school boards not thinking that psychologists contribute enough to really warrant having them) thoughts?

 

[deleted343839]

School psych really interests me but i feel it's one area that in an instant Psychologists could lose access to. (ie school boards not thinking that psychologists contribute enough to really warrant having them) thoughts?

In a sense we already have lost the schools. Despite the general stance that the doctoral degree is the entry-level training standard for the practice of psychology, a person with the title of Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) may have only a master's degree.

 

[smalltownpsych]

School psych really interests me but i feel it's one area that in an instant Psychologists could lose access to. (ie school boards not thinking that psychologists contribute enough to really warrant having them) thoughts?

Yup. There are already states that are using LPCs to provide mental health services to kids. Other states a school psychologist is a MA degree as opposed to a doctoral psychologist. I have worked in school quite a bit myself and have a significant amount of experience working with adolescents and I believe that these kids both need and deserve the expertise and skill set of a true doctoral level clinical psychologist. In a perfect world, a school psychologist would be a board certified specialization of a licensed doctoral-level clinical psychologist just as is neuropsychology these days.

 

[Chalupacabra]

In a sense we already have lost the schools. Despite the general stance that the doctoral degree is the entry-level training standard for the practice of psychology, a person with the title of Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) may have only a master's degree.

Not to be pedantic, but I see this point made here a lot and the CAS/CAGS/EdS is a lot different from a Masters. I respect and understand the argument that it is not equal to a doctorate, but is highly specialized training that requires a year of supervised training and 66 credits total (minimum). Additionally, the standards to be a NASP certified program are fairly strict and extensive. There are MA level school psychs out there, but these are folks who have been in the field for a decade or so and were grandfathered in. It is my understanding it is virtually impossible to get certified without the advanced degree now. This may sound silly, but I think it's a distinction worth making especially given that specialist level degree is literally double the credits of the MA I initially received four semesters into my CAS program.

(I do agree that that CAS level practitioners lack some of the skills needed for working with students with chronic mental health issues and am not crazy about NASP's position of trying to constantly grow/diversify the role of the SP when they lack the training to provide comprehensive mental health services without the expertise of a psychologist or psychiatrist.)

 

[psych844]

The main problem in Canada is that not all provinces have Phd requirement to be called a Psychologist. (if people see that as a problem). So yes, some provinces have Counselling or School Psych that are Masters level. Some provinces have restrictions however..no online degree, some you need additional training to give diagnosis, (or you can't give diagnosis, etc) The thing we don't have however is the many different providers of mental health. So you could potentially see Psychologists (as a whole Masters or Phd) losing out eventually in some way in this area, but who they would lose out to is not exactly clear.

 

[deleted343839]

I respect and understand the argument that it is not equal to a doctorate, but is highly specialized training that requires a year of supervised training and 66 credits total (minimum). Additionally, the standards to be a NASP certified program are fairly strict and extensive...

OK, but it's still a master's level practitioner degree. 66 credits with additional supervised practice requirements is comparable to the amount of training a clinical social worker would receive at a reputable program.

I'm in a completely different area of practice so I don't have a good sense of the history there, but it's interesting that the field reached a point where the consensus tilted in favor of full inclusion of master's level practitioners. Please correct me if I have that wrong, but this has not happened in most subfields of professional psychology. Contrast with neuropsychology (and increasingly other specialties) where board certification is becoming more common and valued. And it matters to the broader profession in part because it muddies the legal definition of psychologist.

It is my understanding it is virtually impossible to get certified without the advanced degree now.

I'm aware that some master's programs are designed specifically to prepare trainees to obtain the NASP credential. Several recent posters have specifically asked about these types of programs. If anything, I would expect them to grow over time.

 

[Chalupacabra]

I'm aware that some master's programs are designed specifically to prepare trainees to obtain the NASP credential.

This would be in violation of NASP standards. NASP has no control over state laws, so some states may allow people to get certified at the MA level, but I'm not aware of any that still allow this. Every program I have ever looked at (and to be fair, that was only NASP approved programs) followed the NASP standards, which include very specific conditions about coursework (akin to what the APA mandates) and require 60 credits minimum, as well as a requirement for a minimum amount of practicum and internship hours and the completion of a fairly extensive portfolio that demonstrates mastery of various domains. Non-NASP approved programs are viewed much like the Argosys of the world, in my experience. Can you get licensed to be an SP? In theory, yes. Will it be likely or easy? No. As for the posters you refer to, they may very well be uninformed/confusing the specialist degree with the MA/MS, which often happens.

As for the argument about the psychologist title, I completely agree and understand why anyone who goes through the extensive work to become a licensed psychologist takes issue. Private practice SPs below the doctoral level in some states are called "psychoeducational specialists" which is a more accurate title - I felt very comfortable with the "school" side of school psychology, as well as cognitive and academic assessment but not so much with the mental health side (which is a major reason I opted to pursue a doctoral degree). But I think the genie is out of the bottle on that matter.

 

[deleted343839]

Interesting!! Quoting a NASP-approved program's web page:

"Graduates of the xxxx School Psychology program are eligible to sit for the following examinations:

• [State-specific master's credential]
• [Other state-specific master's credential]
• Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP)"

I've seen something similar on another program's site. Is that sort of thing OK?

It seems like there is a case for a special niche credential in school psychology that requires rigorous master's level training. It's a tricky issue though. I like the "psychoeducational specialist" title. That seems more transparent and less likely to confuse the public.