20 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You’ll split time between direct therapy, meetings with parents or teachers, and paperwork. Mornings might be one-on-one therapy sessions or group play therapy with children; afternoons often hold school consultations or team meetings to discuss behavior plans.
You also spend blocks doing assessments, writing reports in Microsoft Word, and emailing follow-ups in Microsoft Outlook. Some days include testing time using assessment software and then writing research or progress reports that teachers and parents can use.
Expect Microsoft Word for reports and referrals, Excel for tracking assessment scores or progress, and Outlook for scheduling and client messages. PowerPoint is common for parent or staff trainings; Adobe Acrobat for secure PDFs and consents.
If you do research or program evaluation, IBM SPSS Statistics is used for data analysis. Microsoft Visio is helpful when mapping behavior systems or school referral workflows.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were about 790 employed in this SOC and the median pay is $193,950 per year. The lowest 10% earned $79,010 and the top 10% earned $247,220.
Use BLS numbers as a salary shape—actual pay varies by location, setting (private practice vs. school district), and experience.
You typically need a doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) in clinical or school psychology with coursework in child development, assessment, and therapy methods. Key classes: developmental psychopathology, assessment and diagnosis, behavioral interventions, and ethics.
Get practicum hours working with kids and families, learn to write reports in Word, use Excel for data tracking, and get comfortable with SPSS for any research or program evaluation you might do.
You can use AI to draft report language, create presentation slides in PowerPoint, or automate simple Excel tasks. Always verify clinical conclusions—AI can make factual or diagnostic errors. Keep client data out of public AI services to protect privacy.
For analyses, run statistics in IBM SPSS Statistics and double-check outputs; don’t rely on AI to interpret raw clinical tests. Follow ethical rules and your workplace’s data-security policies when handling sensitive information.
Clear report writing in Microsoft Word and concise email communication in Outlook are critical—your assessments and recommendations must be usable by parents, teachers, and courts. Time management and scheduling are also vital given billing, meetings, and paperwork.
You’ll also need basic data skills in Excel and SPSS for program evaluation or research, plus some business skills if you develop new clients or write proposals for services.