Date of Award

Summer 8-2015

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Randy Busse, PhD

Second Advisor

John Brady, PhD

Third Advisor

Dawn Hunter, PhD

Abstract

A web-based survey was conducted that included 97 practicing school psychologists in California. The results from the survey indicated that the majority (88%) of respondents were knowledgeable about Tourette Syndrome. Many respondents (28%) had never worked with a student with Tourette’s, 20% had at least one case, and 52% indicated that they had worked with more than two cases in their careers as school psychologists. The majority of respondents indicated that their school psychology program did not adequately train them to assess or counsel students with Tourette’s. The majority of participants also did not feel confident to work with students with Tourette’s. As found in the study, school psychologists are in need of training to better serve children with Tourette Syndrome. Children, whether diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome or not, may exhibit difficulties making academic progress because of tic related issues, as well as comorbid disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Schools typically are where students spend many hours of their day, and where those who are knowledgeable about Tourette’s can identify and provide needed supports depending on the student’s needs. Therefore, school psychologists play a key role in facilitating proper education regarding Tourette’s to students, teachers, staff, and families, as well as providing academic, behavioral, emotional, and social support a student may need.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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