The historical development of school psychology is discussed in the context of circumstances and individuals significant to its origins. The contributions of Witmer's clinical psychology and Hall's child study demonstrate how early forms of school psychology evolved from their conceptualizations. Even though the specialty did not achieve a stable national identity until the second half of the 20th century, the provision of psychological services in schools is among the earliest fields of applied psychology and has distinct connections to Witmer and Hall.
Accurately describing personnel shortages is difficult in the absence of reliable sources and with problems defining terms. Despite periods when employment opportunities were limited, it appears there has never been a time when the supply of school psychologists was sufficient to meet the demand. Recent personnel shortages follow a period of several decades in which the overall growth of the field surged upward. Among the factors to explain recent shortages is an inverse relationship between professional regulation and the supply of future school psychologists in training. The shortage is predicted to continue indefinitely.
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