Shortage of School Psychologists

Article that discusses shortage of school psychologists in rural Ohio. In my own practice, I get a number of referrals from parents for psychoeducational assessment of suspected learning disorders or intellecutal deficits (many from the areas of Ohio referenced in this article). While by law schools are obligated to perform such testing when a parent requests it, the reality is that such a request often means a waiting list of 3, 6, or 9 months. One of our local school districts contracts with a psychologist who only comes and does such evaluations when the school has ten such evaluations to do. One of my referrals last week was only the 4th and was told it may be six months before they have ten, so the child has to wait for documentation of suspected learning/intellectual delays. Some of my co-psychologists decline such referrals as "it is the school's responsibility to test the children under the law". I agree, but if a child is struggling and is only going to fall further behind until he deficits/delays are documented, I will on occasion conduct psychoeducational evaluations at the parent's request even though it is techinically the school's responsibility.