Youth with Down syndrome (DS) display unique strengths and needs, requiring adaptations for service delivery; however, many school psychologists (SPs) may be underprepared to support them. This scoping review examined the extent to which the school psychology literature has explored needs and services specifically for individuals with DS and synthesized findings and recommendations from this work. Only four articles published from January 2008 to April 2024 across 11 school psychology journals met inclusion criteria. Textual narrative synthesis revealed findings in two categories: (a) characteristics, strengths, and needs; (b) psychoeducational service delivery. Overall, empirical research in this area is limited.
The study surveyed educational psychologists in Newfoundland and Labrador about their practice across the six core competencies outlined in the Mutual Recognition Agreement, as well as their current and preferred roles. Results indicated that although participants engage in all competency areas, their practice is heavily focused on assessment. The findings suggest that, since Harris and Joy’s study, assessment remains the primary focus of educational psychologists’ practice. However, participants expressed a desire to expand their roles and allocate more time to intervention, consultation outside the educational system, and reviewing current research. The increasing emphasis on multi-tiered systems within schools provides an opportunity to better integrate mental health services, allowing educational psychologists to address the academic, behavioral, and mental health needs of children and youth more comprehensively.
Sociability plays a critical role in students' social interaction, collaboration, and emotional well-being. This study examines factors associated with student sociability using data from the 2021 OECD Survey on Social and Emotional Skills, focusing on Canadian students aged 10 and 15 (n = 5,440). A machine learning approach was employed to model sociability as a continuous outcome using multiple regression-based algorithms. Results indicate that cooperation, optimism, sense of belonging, and students' energy levels are significant predictors of sociability. Among the models evaluated, Support Vector Regression and Lasso Regression demonstrated the strongest predictive performance, exhibiting the lowest error rates and highest explained variance. These findings highlight the close relationship between social and emotional skills and student sociability and underscore the importance of educational policies that support students' social engagement and emotional development. Future research may extend this work by examining how social and emotional skills relate to academic outcomes.
School absence negatively impacts academic performance and is more prevalent among students with health conditions and/or disabilities. Using data from the British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey, we explored school absences, which were defined as missing one or more classes at school for any reason during the past 30 days, among youth with self-reported health conditions and/or disabilities. Using descriptive analyses, we explored the prevalence and factors that may contribute to school absences, including feelings about and treatment at school, and perceptions of safety while in different school locations or contexts. We found that, overall, students with health conditions and/or disabilities are more likely to report school absences than students without health conditions and/or disabilities. Further, within this population three specific groups reported more school absences: those with two or more health conditions and/or disabilities, those with mental or emotional needs, and those with physical needs. To address potential educational inequities for these students, targeted programmes and supports that address interpersonal and structural factors that contribute to school absence are needed.
Students may be referred for psychoeducational assessment to elucidate factors that underlie or contribute to their learning, behavioural, and/or socio-emotional difficulties. Although these assessments have traditionally been deficit-focused, strengths-based assessment (SBA) is an alternative approach that seeks to explore areas of challenges whilst also identifying and leveraging strengths. We surveyed 57 school-based Canadian psychologists and psychological associates about their assessment beliefs and practices. SBA implementation was greater amongst those who endorsed stronger beliefs in the value of SBA, had more years of experience providing school-based assessments, and had a lower assessment caseload. Findings highlight the importance of attitudes and professional development for school psychology providers.
Children with developmental disabilities (DD) experience higher rates of mental health (MH) concerns than their non-disabled peers, yet school-based mental health professionals often lack the training needed to support this population effectively. One contributing factor is limited clinical preparation during graduate education. This pilot study examined the use of mixed-reality simulation as a training tool for school psychology and school counseling graduate students to increase their clinical interactions with children presenting with co-occurring MH and DD. Participants reported increased confidence and preparedness in addressing mental health needs among children with DD. Implications will be discussed.
Research over the past few decades has demonstrated the efficacy of well-defined Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) programs when implemented with fidelity. Such programs have improved students' social skills, mental health and academic achievement. However, there has been no description or synthesis of current inclusion of SEL-related outcomes in Canadian public school curricula. While SEL has been shown to be effective when implemented with fidelity, the current inclusion of SEL in Canadian curricula may be too scattered and fragmented to lead to consistent implementation or the positive outcomes associated with SEL reported in literature. The purpose of this study was to identify the SEL-related specific learning outcomes currently included in Canadian primary to grade 6 curricula. The descriptive and deductive analysis provided insights into the current state of SEL inclusion in Canadian curricula. Results indicated that despite significant variation in each province and territory's approach to curricula, emphasis was placed on teaching students social skills such as prosocial behavior, conflict resolution, and social cues. All provinces placed the least amount of emphasis on teaching or enforcing attitudes such as optimism, enthusiasm, openness, and gratitude. Considerations for ongoing Canadian research and psychology-informed curriculum development are discussed.
This article presents an examination of the intersection between generative AI and psycho-educational assessments, offering a comprehensive overview of their integration. It begins by exploring the fundamentals of artificial intelligence, emphasizing the role of generative AI in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and its potential implications for psychological research and clinical practices. Concurrently, the manuscript delves into the intricate steps of a psycho-educational assessment for children, elucidating the multifaceted process encompassing cognitive, emotional, and academic evaluations. Through this integrated exploration, the article not only provides detailed guidelines, an ethical framework, and nuanced insights into potential challenges but also addresses the global shortage of trained clinicians. By examining how advanced technologies including Generative AI can assist in enhancing diagnostic efficiency, when outputs are interpreted and validated by trained professionals. Drawing on the perspectives highlighted by Duff and Roberts (2016) and insights from generative AI, the article proposes guidelines that streamline assessments, prioritize ethical considerations, and maximize the benefits of human expertise.
Psychoeducational assessments often determine access to essential services, yet most tools used in Canadian contexts remain grounded in Western frameworks that do not reflect Indigenous worldviews. This brief report describes the development of an Indigenous Assessment Protocol co-created through an Indigenous-led, community-engaged processes. Used alongside standard tools, the protocol supports practitioners in contextualizing assessment results through a strengths-based, holistic understanding of child development. This practice-based contribution joins a growing number of responses across Canada that heed national calls for more culturally grounded and community-engaged approaches to assessment.
Family-school collaboration is central to school psychology practice, yet sustaining meaningful partnerships can be challenging amid rising student mental health needs and broader socio-political and economic uncertainty. This paper positions hope as an organizing framework for strengthening family-school collaboration across school-based practices. Drawing on hope theory and an established body of research and literature, hope is conceptualized as both a mindset and a relational process characterized by goal-directed agency and pathways thinking. We synthesize research linking hope to academic engagement, well-being, and school-based intervention outcomes, and outline how hope can align collaborative processes within inclusive education and comprehensive school health approaches. Particular attention is given to neurodivergent learners, who face elevated risks of co-occurring academic and mental health difficulties. For these students, hope-oriented collaboration can interrupt deficit cycles, strengthen agency, and support strengths-based educational planning, including Individual Education Plan (IEP) processes. Practical strategies are provided for school psychologists, counsellors and inclusion-focused professionals to embed hope into consultation, family engagement, and collaborative problem-solving structures. By positioning hope as a unifying framework rather than an add-on program, this paper advances equity-focused, relationally grounded approaches that help schools and families sustain shared forward momentum in uncertain times.
Given the frequency with which students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) receive extended time accommodations in post-secondary settings, this study examined whether students with ASD-alone or with comorbid conditions-perform below peers without neurodevelopmental diagnoses on speeded tasks. A total of 729 post-secondary students who completed psychoeducational assessments were divided into four groups: ASD only (n = 56), ASD with Learning Disorder (LD; n = 58), ASD with ADHD and/or mental health conditions (MH; n = 27), and a No Diagnosis (No Dx) group (n = 588). Participants completed a flexible battery of individually administered tests assessing intellectual ability, processing speed, speed of retrieval, efficiency of cognitive flexibility and academic fluency. Overall, students in the ASD groups did not perform significantly below the No Dx group on most speeded cognitive and academic tasks. Further, mean scores on measures of speeded cognitive and academic functioning generally fell in the Average range across study groups. As such, the results did not suggest a need for extended time accommodation based on a diagnosis of ASD alone. The results reinforce the need for performance-based data to understand the diverse cognitive and academic profiles among students with ASD to guide appropriate supports.
Research on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for students with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) focuses on vocabulary and content knowledge, often overlooking science practices and extended oral scientific skills. Using a single-case design, this study examined the efficacy of a video-enhanced intervention package to teach science practices to two students with NDD. In a secondary analysis, students' scientific utterances were measured using event recording focusing on mean utterance length and the use of scientific words. The intervention package was effective in teaching science practice skills and extended oral scientific skills. The results inform practice implications and future research directions.
Mindfulness practices in education have been shown to significantly improve students' emotional regulation and overall well-being. As an emerging and innovative approach in early childhood education and contemporary school psychology, this study explores the integration of mindfulness practices in schools and highlights their benefits for enhancing students' learning experiences and well-being. It focuses on the teaching practices used to facilitate mindfulness with children aged 4 to 5 years. Eight mindfulness teachers in elementary schools participated in Skype interviews, and 24 children aged four to five took part in focus groups. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. This study contributes to the growing body of research on mindfulness in early childhood and ethical practice in contemporary school psychology.
Elementary students can experience high levels of school-related stress, which can subsequently hinder learning and well-being. At this age and stage, students are still developing the skills to manage stress and academic demands, and benefit from additional support. Few studies have explored interventions that combine stress regulation with learning management or compared different learning consolidation methods. This study examined the effectiveness of the Stress Stories Project , an integrated intervention targeting two key stress appraisals linked to student success: (a) stress mindset and (b) coping self-efficacy. It also compared the effects of two consolidation strategies, memory reconsolidation and metacognitive reflection, on the appraisal outcomes. Grade 4 and 5 Canadian Public School students participated in the 2-week intervention and were assigned to either the memory reconsolidation or metacognitive reflection condition. Stress mindset and coping self-efficacy were measured before and after the intervention. A 2 (Time: pre, post) × 2 (Group: reflection, reconsolidation) repeated measures ANOVA assessed the impact of condition on outcomes. Results showed an overall increase in stress mindset scores, with more students adopting a “stress is enhancing” mindset. Coping self-efficacy did not change significantly. However, a significant time-by-group interaction revealed that memory reconsolidation was more effective than reflection in improving stress mindset over time. These findings suggest that addressing students’ past school stress experiences through memory reconsolidation may enhance stress mindset and offer greater psychological and motivational benefits.
Indigenous students in Canada typically experience lower educational attainment, graduate at lower rates, and are disproportionately represented on Individual Education Plans compared to their non-Indigenous peers, despite consistent efforts to meet the needs of these students in a culturally responsive way. Many school psychologists report that they do not have the necessary skills and training to work effectively with Indigenous students, meaning that these students might not be adequately supported in schools. Forty-nine Nova Scotia school psychologists completed a survey about their perceptions of their graduate preparation, current knowledge, and knowledge needed to practice effectively with Indigenous students across the APA's six areas of cross-cultural competency. Results indicated that school psychologists felt that their graduate training did not adequately prepare them and that their level of current knowledge was not sufficient to practice effectively with Indigenous students and communities. However, the majority of respondents indicated that they believed it was important to be knowledgeable about Indigenous students' backgrounds and culture, suggesting an openness to learning. Suggestions for training and practice are discussed in the context of the TRC Calls to Action and the CPA accreditation standards, with a focus on transformative education and culturally responsive practices.
Social media platforms such as Pinterest are a popular medium for locating and consuming health and mental health information, as well as educational resources to assist struggling learners. Despite parents and educators being frequent consumers of education-related information on Pinterest, no studies to date have explored the accuracy of intervention information for dyslexia on Pinterest-linked web pages, meaning that the extent to which it aligns with evidence-based practice and the science of reading is unclear. This study reviewed online information about interventions for dyslexia from 41 Pinterest-linked web pages to evaluate accountability, presentation, alignment with evidence-based practice, and readability using a set of standardized criteria. The quality of intervention information was generally poor, with websites meeting less than 10% of the standardized criteria. Further, most information was published by unspecified authors or authors without formal experience providing evidence-based interventions for dyslexia. Most sites also neglected to reference their sources or recommend follow-up with a professional. These findings suggest that psychologists should be steering educators away from Pinterest as a resource and towards more reliable websites. Possibilities for future research, and practical implications for school psychologists are discussed.
This study examined the effect of reading at an instructional level (reading 93%–97% of the words accurately) and situational interest on time on task with 122 sixth grade students. Students were assigned to one of three conditions to silently read a passage that contained 0% scrambled words (independent level), 5% scrambled words (instructional level), or 15% scrambled words (frustration level). Each student also rated their situational interest in reading the passage by examining the title and two pictures about the passage before reading it. The task difficulty condition, situational interest, and interaction of both all significantly predicted time on task while reading the passage. Time on task was highest for the instructional level condition of 5% scrambled words, but the rating of situational interest accounted for the most variance.
There has been a long-standing debate between the use of person-first and identity-first language for individuals with disabilities. As such, we explored the perspectives of individuals with learning disabilities (LD) as to their preferences for these terminologies. We were also interested in examining their preferences for the term LD in general. One hundred twenty individuals were recruited online to share their perspectives. Overall, there does not appear to be a preference in terminology for LD individuals when it comes to person-first and identity-first language, and they have varying opinions as to why one options is better than another. Moreover, these individuals had different perspectives on the term LD, whether positive, negative, indifferent, or conflicted. Nevertheless, only a third of participants identified an alternative term for LD, with the most popular alternative being “learning difference,” followed by “neurodivergent.” The results of this research provide an important opportunity for individuals within the school including, teachers, school psychologists and administrators to consider the terminology utilized when talking about individuals with LD. In closing, we provide limitations and recommendations for future research.
Social-emotional learning and character education are crucial to preventing social-emotional, and behavioral difficulties and promoting academic enablers in schools. We conducted a multisite cluster-randomized trial to examine the effectiveness of PurposeFull People (PfP ; a universal prevention program integrating social-emotional learning and character education) in 10 elementary schools. At each school, four to six teachers and their classes ( n t eacher = 44) were randomly assigned to either treatment ( PfP ) or control condition (business-as-usual daily instruction). An average of eight students were randomly recruited from each teacher’s class ( n student = 354). Four student outcomes (behavior expectations, behavior discipline, character traits, and academic engaged time/AET) were assessed at baseline and 4-month posttest after the completion of PfP . We built a series of 3-level multilevel models to estimate the effects of PfP on each student outcome. We also explored treatment effect heterogeneity based on students’ baseline outcomes. Results indicated that students receiving PfP showed greater improvements in all four outcomes compared to those in the control group. Also, the effect of PfP on students’ understanding of character traits, AET, and behavioral expectations varied based on their baseline status, that is, students struggling more at baseline reported more improvement at posttest. We discussed limitations and suggested implications for future research and practical applications. This trial was registered at OSF Preregistration ( https://doi.org/10.17605/osf.io/486te , registration number: osf.io/qzwkj).
