Ivan Yates
Question:84 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Education and Science the way in which the psychological service of his Department prioritise the children for whom it will provide an assessment. [3622/99]
Written Answers. - Psychological Services.
Each psychologist employed by my Department is assigned a list of named schools. An important part of the psychologist's work is to assist the principals, guidance counsellors, remedial and other teachers of those schools to develop procedures for screening, identifying and prioritising those students who are most in need of help. In this way, the psychologist is able to estimate the numbers of students who may need psychological intervention and consequently the amount of time that needs to be spent in each school.
In deciding on overall priorities, the psychologist also takes into account referrals which are made in respect of applications for special arrangements in certificate examinations or of students who are out of school, for one reason or another. In many cases, the psychologist discusses individual students in the light of the schools assessment results with teachers and parents and advises on appropriate remedial strategies. This means that many students are able to benefit from the psychologists advice without the need for an individual psychological assessment.