School psychologists at mid-century.

There was a profession of psychology long before there was a science of psychology, even before the term psychologist came into public use. In early 19th-century America (as in centuries before, throughout the world), there were practitioners who counseled people about their marriages, advised individuals about possible careers, aided parents in the rearing of their children, advised companies about employee selection, and offered to cure a host of psychological illnesses through myriad treatments. These practitioners worked under various labels, including phrenologist, characterologist, spiritualist, graphologist, mental healer, physiognomist, mind reader, and psychologist.To "get your head examined" was big business in 19th-century America. Phrenologists, often using a system marketed by brothers Lorenzo and Orson Fowler, measured skull shapes. Phrenology clinics advised businesses and schools on hiring, helped lawyers to evaluate clients, and counseled individuals on marriage and vocations. Whether such individuals were "psychologists," and whether they represented a "profession," are different matters entirely.

Psychology as a Profession

Cautin

Freedheim

DeLeon³

2003

School Psychology

Fagan¹

2003

This chapter describes the historical development of the field of school psychology over two broad periods referred to as The Hybrid Years (1890–1969) and The Thoroughbred Years (1970‐present). Within each period, the field's development is subdivided into chronological periods and their associated development contributed by specific persons, events, and trends. The field's development is traced across the twentieth century, including descriptions of early practices and their relationship to later service delivery. Organizational development is described as evolving primarily from associations for applied psychologists and the reorganized American Psychological Association, and then the founding of the National Association of School Psychologists at the start of The Hybrid Years. Developments in training, accreditation, credentialing, and literature are also presented. A section discussing future possibilities for the specialty is provided and there is a section on resources for the study of the history of school psychology. An overview of the present status of the field is also presented at the beginning of the chapter.

School Psychology

Reschly

2003

This chapter traces the early roots of school psychology, its origination in the practice of clinical psychology, and its more recent affiliation with the field of educational psychology. The emphasis of school psychology research has been on applied psychological principles that contribute to a greater understanding of individual differences in learning, development, and behavior, with a strong focus on the design of educational and mental health programs to accommodate these differences. This review points out how the field has been strongly influenced by societal trends and responses to meeting the needs of students with exceptionalities, and discusses contemporary and future challenges facing the field.