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Eastern Kentucky University
Department of Psychology
Developmental Disabilities Specialty Clinic

Purpose:
The purpose of the Developmental Disabilities Specialty speciality clinic is to provide services to the university and community and to provide speciality training opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students in psychology and other related service fields. Involved psychology graduate students are primarily enrolled in the clinical psychology master's program but may also be enrolled in the school psychology specialist degree program.

Rationale:
Historically and currently, there is a nation and statewide shortage of psychologists well trained in the theory and practice of individuals with low incidence disabilities (Strichart & Lazarus, 1986). This shortage in training exists despite increasing and emerging roles for psychologists in assessing and treating individuals with disabilities, particularly young children (Flanagan, Sainato, & Genshaft, 1993). According to the Director of Kentucky's Department of Mental Retardation and to the Director of Kentucky's affiliate of the American Psychological Association, the Kentucky Psychological Association, this situation is also true in the state of Kentucky (K. Mittendorf, personal communication, July 30,1997; S. Schuster, personal communication, September 2, 1997). Dr. Sheila Schuster notes that out of approximately 500 professional members and 60 areas of interest offered, only 8 Kentucky Psychological Association members have indicated developmental disabilities as an area of interest (S. Schuster, personal communication, September 2, 1997).

Despite the lack of specific psychology training in low-incidence disabilities, growth in Kentucky's range of services for disabilities suggests an accompanying growth in needs for trained personnel.

A review of college and university course catalogues for the 6 universities offering master's or doctoral level degrees in psychology in the state of Kentucky suggests that none of these programs currently offers a standing course focusing on psychological skills in developmental disabilities. The closest university that does offer specialized training in developmental disabilities is Peabody College of Vanderbilt, in Nashville, Tennessee, which serves a different student population (i.e., typically doctoral level, more stringent grade and test score requirements) than Eastern Kentucky University's psychology graduate programs.

Many children in Kentucky born at risk for developmental problems are from poor, rural populations. A large proportion of families in Kentucky do not have insurance and are not covered by health maintenance organizations. Disability payments per capita in Kentucky range from $963.00 to $2,472