Laura Méndez Zaballos

El psicólogo en la Educación Infantil

The purpose of this article is to explain some of the characteristics which define the intervention of the educational psychologist in childhood. With this aim, the presentation is organized into three parts. First, this article conducts a historical and legislative review of the Education System in childhood and through the EOEPs (Educational and Psychopedagogical Orientation Teams) focused on the EATs (Early Attention Teams), which are the most representative role of the psychologist working at this educational level. In the second part, the article presents the question of the skills which the educational psychologist needs, and if they are different to those needed by other colleagues working at other educational levels. In the third part, a model of intervention is developed which, in our opinion, deals with the specific features of the psychologist´s work in early childhood education. This model uses a holistic and systemic approach, focused on collaboration and counselling. Finally, some open questions for debate are highlighted.

El Psicólogo Educativo en España. Algunas Propuestas para la Reflexión

To understand the current perspective of the educational psychologist and the dilemmas which the profession faces in our country, both in terms of standards and of professional training, it is important to know the history and the various milestones that have marked the profession. To this end, this article is organized in two parts. In the first, we look at the different laws that have governed the Spanish educational system, from the General Education Law to the most recent Organic Education Law. On this historical tour we will see how the role of the educational psychologist and contexts of intervention have been gradually moved from the medical model, the use of tests and measures of special education, to a model based on advice and systemic ecological and collaborative intervention. Throughout this analysis, we emphasize those aspects that have contributed to enhancing some of the problems and dilemmas facing our profession today. In response to these challenges, we present, in the second part of this article, some of the initiatives that have taken place in recent years, and which have come from organizations officially recognized by the Spanish Psychology Association in an attempt to respond to the main challenges that face the profession, of training, accreditation processes and about the psychologist´s role in the Spanish Education System.