Program of Study
Core Curriculum
The core curriculum consists of credit hour requirements in the following eight core competency areas:
1. Knowledge of human development (e.g., cognitive, intellectual, adaptive, emotional, social, behavioral, language, and perceptual-motor areas), academic mastery, educational curriculum, and learning environments.
2. Knowledge of varied models and methods of service delivery, including standardized and non-standardized assessment, consultation, intervention, outcome evaluation, and family systems models, incorporating data-based decision-making information technology and empirically based professional service.
3. Knowledge of school psychology history and professional issues, administrative and supervisory procedures related to school psychology and school systems, family systems, and legal and ethical standards guiding service delivery at individual, group, family, school, and system levels.
4. Standardized and non-standardized assessment, evaluation, and interpretation of human development and learning domains (e.g., cognitive, intellectual, adaptive, emotional, social, behavioral, language, perceptual-motor, and academic mastery) within a collaborative, data-based decision-making frame, respecting diversity of student strengths, needs, learning styles, and cultures.
5. Use of behavioral and observational strategies in individual diagnosis linked to developing effective instruction and enhancement of individual growth and development.
6. Use of systematic therapeutic approaches (e.g., behavior management, FBA, RTI, consultation, counseling, conferencing) to address identified needs at the individual, group, family, and system levels.
7. Function as the resource specialist in the school attuned to, and skilled in, achieving mental health goals, prevention services, home-school collaboration, crisis intervention, and crisis intervention teamwork.
8. Design, implement, and evaluate in-service, staff development, parent education, and system level programs.
Additional Objectives
The additional program objective of training students with an expertise in deafness is framed within the following five special competency areas.
1. Communication and meeting the communication needs of all individuals whom one serves, which includes the development of American Sign Language (ASL) skill, as well as the ability to assess one's communication skills and adapt communication modalities to meet the specific needs of each child (ASL, manually coded English, oral/aural approaches, etc.).
2. Knowledge of deafness issues, including research, technological innovations, deaf culture, diversity within the Deaf community, and resources for families and the professional.
3. Psychoeducational considerations for children who are Deaf or hard of hearing, including modifications needed in use of standardized and non-standardized test instruments, interpretation of results, socialization issues, family issues, and the impact of additional disabilities.
4. Specialized psychological assessment and observational strategies for students who are Deaf or hard of hearing across diverse cultural, economic, linguistic, and personal developmental domains.
5. Knowledge of educational intervention techniques and curriculum adaptations for students who are Deaf or hard of hearing.
Practicum and Internships
Supervised practicum and internship experiences are available at school and educational programs for deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing children in the metropolitan Washington area and across the United States. A background check is frequently a requirement of practicum and internship sites and will be the financial responsibility of the student before placement is made.
Typical Program of Study and Core Courses
The graduate program in school psychology requires the completion of 72 graduate hours including practicum and internship experiences. The program generally takes three years: two years of course study (including practicum experiences) and a one-year internship.
The first year of the program includes a 30-credit sequence of courses in psychology and related areas, additional sign communication courses, and successful completion of comprehensive examinations in three areas (language, cognition, and behavior disorders). Successful completion of these requirements results in a master of arts degree in developmental psychology. The master's degree is usually awarded at the end of the first year of study.
The second year includes an additional 30-credit sequence of courses emphasizing school psychological services, successful completion of a comprehensive examination case study and an extensive practicum experience.
The third program year is a full-time school psychology internship placement (12 credits), which may be served in a school or school/clinical setting anywhere in the United States. Upon successful completion of the internship year the specialist degree in school psychology is awarded.
Courses that must be taken at Gallaudet in the school psychology program:
PSY 701 Legal, Ethical, and Professional Issues in School Psychology (3)
PSY 743 Assessment I: History and Theory of Assessment (3)
PSY 746 Assessment II: Intellectual Assessment (3)
PSY 765 Assessment III: Social, Emotional and Behavioral Assessment (3)
PSY 770 Practicum in School Psychology I (3)
PSY 771 Practicum in School Psychology II (3)
PSY 772 Psychological Consultation: Externship (1)
PSY 790 Internship: Individual Case Study (3)
PSY 791 Internship: Teacher Consultation and Counseling (3)
PSY 792 Internship: System Consultation and In-Service (3)
PSY 793 Internship: Advanced Case Conference (3)
Required Courses
PSY 732 Child Psychopathology and Behavior Disorders (3)
PSY 748 Psychoeducational Assessment and Programming for Exceptional Children (3)
PSY 754 Biological Psychology: Brain and Behavior (3)
PSY 766 School Psychology and Prevention Services (3)
PSY 767 Psychological Consultation: Theory and Practice (3)
Additional Requirements
Students must pass a comprehensive examination in each of these areas:
Language development
Cognitive development
Behavior disorders
Comprehensive case study
Students must take at least one course in each of these areas:
Educational methods or curriculum
Multicultural education
Audiology
Statistics
Psychology and deafness
Students must demonstrate sign language proficiency by passing six credit hours of coursework in the area of sign communication (or waiver).
