School psychology in Australia

The Influence of Referral Information on the Diagnostic Classification of Exceptional Children

“…Participants were 79 full-time primary guidance officers employed by the Queensland State Department of Education, Australia, who perform similar functions to school psychologists (Ritchie, 1985). All had undergone extensive training in diagnostic procedures and had been involved in diagnostic and placement decisions.…”

School psychology research in Australia.

“…Trends which are likely to affect school psychology in Australia and require further investigation include the continued urbanization of schools and society, the continued move toward a service-based economy, the need for more training in high technology, and increased efforts to equalize the educational opportunities of all Australians. It is likely that guidance officers will gain more status and more responsibilities as a result of licensure and increased professionalization (Ritchie, 1985). As the ratio of guidance officers to students improves, there may be less reliance on standardized tests and more reliance on natural observations.…”

“…Although some guidance officers are assigned full-time to a single school, typically they are responsible for a dozen or more. In the outback areas, a guidance officer may be responsible for 20 or more schools spread over an area the size of New Mexico (Ritchie, 1985). Because of this, guidance officers provide indirect services including much consultation work with parents and teachers.…”