Sheila Strobel, Ed.S, NCSP
School Psychologist
Sheila.Strobel@k12.sd.us
Nathan Garrett, Ed.S, NCSP
School Psychologist
Nathan.Garrett@k12.sd.us
Paula Terpstra, MS NCC
Special Education Counselor
Paula.Terpstra@k12.sd.us
School Psychologist
Special Education Counselor
Role of the School Psychologist
The purpose of a school psychologist is to improve the lives of children academically, socially, and emotionally to create success for them in a school setting. Being part of a collaborative team, our intent is to foster a purposeful learning environment where all kids can succeed regardless of presenting challenges they may bring to the school setting.
Meeting the needs of the whole child is essential to helping them feel connected, supported, and ready to learn. These factors are critical to school success. School psychologists work to lower barriers to learning and promote school success through a variety of wellness promotion, prevention, academic and behavior intervention, and mental health services.
Role of the Special Education Counselor
The Special Education Counselor works with special needs students in the elementary schools, intermediate school, junior high, and high schools, to ensure students have the support services they need to achieve their highest potential in the areas of academics, personal and social growth, and career development. This is accomplished by working with students with social, emotional, behavioral, and physical disabilities in a variety of settings, including in one-on-one counseling, group counseling, in special education classrooms, as well as in regular education classrooms.
Another essential duty of special education counselors is to work with special education and general education teachers and staff members to ensure that the needs of each special needs student are being met. This is done by advocating on the child’s behalf, collaborating with teachers to develop more effective support services for the child, or working with teachers and staff members to develop a better understanding of the interventions in place to help the child succeed. Much collaboration and consultation are also undertaken with other special services workers, such as school psychologists, occupational and physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, and the like.
Special Education Counselor works with families as well. In this context, they might serve as a resource to help families improve their ability to meet the child's needs at home and in the community. This might involve offering parents and guardians insight into effective strategies for improving their child’s functioning. It may also involve referring families to outside resources, such as child and family counselors, vocational training, or non-profit organizations that specialize in working with families of special needs children.