School Psychology

Lightner Witmer

Lightner Witmer, considered the father of school and clinical psychology, was probably the earliest practitioner of school psychology. In 1888, Witmer started his career teaching English and history at a preparatory school, where he was intrigued by students who had difficulties learning despite being motivated and bright. This may have piqued his interest in the empirical study of learning, which characterized much of his future work. Witmer then pursued graduate study at the University of Pennsylvania, and later he led lames Cattell's psychology laboratory, primarily to study children who had learning problems. Through his seminal work in the laboratory, Witmer provided the foundation for what has come to be known as the scientist-practitioner model.

The Scientist-Practitioner Model

The scientist-practitioner model emphasizes both science and practice, so that one area informs the other, and the practice of professional psychologists represents an integration of science with professional skills. Using this approach, Witmer worked with children who displayed school-related difficulties. Specifically, one struggled with the English language, and one had been labeled a chronic bad speller. From these descriptions, these children would most probably be diagnosed today as having a learning disability. In a systematic manner, Witmer searched the literature and found that psychology had not investigated causes or treatments for these disorders. Witmer argued that there were no principles for him to follow, and thus, he had to scientifically study these children before developing appropriate interventions. In a paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association (APA), Witmer proposed a plan involving the training of students for a new profession: psychological experts who would work with the schools and hospitals to help students who had difficulties.

Historical Conferences

At the present time, the majority of school psychology training programs embrace the scientist-practitioner model of training articulated by Witmer. This model was recommended in 1949 at the Boulder [Page 385]conference, which was held to examine the training of professional psychologists. The shortage of trained psychologists to serve school-age children after World War II led to the Thayer Conference in 1954. The purpose of the Thayer Conference was to address the roles, functions, and training specific to school psychologists. The Vail conference in 1973 led to advocacy of a professionally oriented model of training, emphasizing applied coursework and culminating in the awarding of the doctor of psychology degree (Psy.D.). This training model focused on the delivery of professional services, and although not many school psychology programs currently offer this degree, there has been growing interest in moving toward applied practice. The majority of school psychology programs offer degrees at the master's, educational specialist, or doctoral level.

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