NASP Annual Convention Brings Together More Than 3,500 School Psychologists From Across the United StatesBethesda, MD- Starting on February 15, more than 3,500 school psychologists will convene at the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) 2022 Annual Convention. Meeting February 15-18, 2022, at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, MA, experts will address a wide array of current challenges in education and discuss best practices that contribute to the learning, safety, and well-being of students to promote their success in school and life.

School psychologists play a critical role in helping to identify and implement strategies that create and maintain positive and safe school climates and meet the needs of their specific school communities. These efforts are especially urgent given the increased stressors many students have faced during the pandemic. School psychologists' roles in supporting students' mental and behavioral health includes providing tools that promote resilience, providing counseling, conducting suicide risk assessments, and engaging in crisis response when needed.

Given recent learning disruption and trauma attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, school psychology services are in demand more now than ever before. This year's convention brings together renowned experts in children's learning, development, and mental health to examine the practices essential to creating school environments in which all students thrive. Topics being addressed at the 2022 convention include: creating trauma-sensitive schools, school safety and crisis responses, positive discipline, addressing the academic needs of diverse learners, and supporting LGBTQ+ students.

Keynote speaker Dr. Temple Grandin will share her experiences and expertise on living with autism, her understanding of the human mind, and the ways educators and school psychologists can support the learning, healthy development, and well-being of students with autism. Tapping into her personal experiences from the challenges of being a child with autism to her significant accomplishments as a scientist, author, and public speaker, her keynote address will focus specifically on how to help individuals with autism navigate the often unseen, unwritten rules of social interactions.

NASP President Laurie Klose states, "We are excited to host the 2022 annual convention in Boston. The city has made it clear that meeting students' mental health and behavioral health needs is foundational to supporting their academic success, and it has committed to increasing access to services. I think this is a great place to continue our mission into 2022."

As seen across the country, students are struggling emotionally and academically. Boston schools continue to put effort into ensuring school psychologists and other support systems are available in school buildings and through BPS Behavioral Health Services. NASP urges school systems across the country to meet the recommended ratio of one school psychologists per 500 students.

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