Graduation Year
2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
Ph.D.
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Degree Granting Department
Educational and Psychological Studies
Major Professor
Jose M. Castillo, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Evan H. Dart, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Robert F. Dedrick, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Beth Boone, Ph.D.
Keywords
employment, school psychology, mental health condition, chronic illness, impairment
Abstract
Despite efforts to recruit and retain school psychologists from diverse backgrounds, there has been little focus on school psychologists with disabilities. This oversight is concerning given that school psychologists deliver extensive support to students with disabilities yet simultaneously remain largely absent from diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. The current study sought to learn about school psychologists with disabilities by providing much-needed demographic information on this population while also focusing on their workplace experiences. Two-hundred-fifty-five participants were asked about their perceptions regarding the systemic challenges they encountered, personal challenges they faced, reasons they disclosed or did not disclose their disability, and the compensatory strategies and workplace accommodations they used. Results revealed that over half the survey respondents reported encountering at least one systemic challenge throughout their career as a school psychologist. The most commonly cited systemic challenges were in the areas of being perceived as a problem employee and being stereotyped by a supervisor(s). The most cited personal challenges were in the areas of having more difficulty sitting or standing for long periods and in sustaining attention. Results of a binary logistic regression revealed that those with invisible/not readily apparent disabilities were significantly more likely to encounter systemic challenges than those with visible/sometimes visible disabilities. The study also explored differences in disability disclosure, compensatory strategies, and workplace accommodations. The findings underscore the need to alleviate reservations about disability disclosure, secure inclusivity training for employers and school psychology organizations, and make obtaining workplace accommodations more accessible.
Scholar Commons Citation
Schaffer, Gary E., "Perceived Workplace Obstacles and Compensatory Strategies Used by School Psychologists with Disabilities" (2024). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/10677
