Barbara Mercaldo has worked in city schools as a school psychologist for 22 years, most recently in three Manhattan schools: PS 125, PS 36 and Columbia Secondary School.

What is your role in the school?

My role is to evaluate students for special education, to determine if it is required in consultation with the teacher. They come to me with their concerns about a child — sometimes it’s as simple as the child not holding the pencil right or reversing letters. More often, the classroom teacher suspects a learning disability in the area of reading or the child’s behavior is severely disrupting the classroom routine. My job is to provide the most appropriate strategies to see if the child’s issues can be addressed before taking the leap into special education.

What kind of strategies?

It might mean repeating the lesson or reviewing the lesson one-on-one or presenting the lesson differently. I don’t have individual sessions with a child, but I will observe the child in the classroom. And sometimes a referral for a special education evaluation is the answer. We have to remember, especially when children are very young, they are still developing. And there’s also pressure on teachers. A teacher’s success is measured by their students passing a test. I encourage them to try different teaching strategies. Sometimes I have a child screened by speech and language specialists.

Then what happens?

We bring the child study team in — the assistant principal, the guidance counselor, the teacher, sometimes the speech and language specialist. For about six weeks, we try interventions in the classroom. If there is no change, then we discuss it with the parent, and a full evaluation is done. Sometimes the parent requests a full evaluation immediately, before the six weeks are over, and we comply with that request. After the full evaluation, if the evaluation reveals that services are needed, the child is classified — whether it’s a learning disability, speech impairment or other health impairment — and we then recommend a program that becomes the Individualized Education Program or IEP.

Has your job changed much since you began?

Yes. It’s become less about collaboration and more about testing and doing IEPs in concert with the child study team. My day now begins with turning on the computer to enter data in SESIS (the Special Education Student Information System). It’s very time-consuming and tedious. It keeps you tied to the desk. I rarely get up from the chair unless a teacher comes in. I have hope that with the new mayor and chancellor, things will swing back to educating the whole child.

What are some of the other challenges you face?

The increase in aggressive behavior in young children is one. Where does the anger come from? First, we need to help the teacher address the behavior in the classroom by doing a behavior assessment and developing and implementing a behavior intervention plan. In more severe cases — for example, a boy who is so aggressive he bites, screams, cries and hurls chairs across the room — that’s when you have to involve the whole family. You recommend outside counseling and therapy, because it’s more serious. Some children don’t come to school prepared to learn because of overwhelming problems at home. The school psychologist and social worker assist the teacher in giving those children coping skills and strategies to overcome whatever issues they have at home, so they can learn.

What does success look like in that case?

It takes a very long time. Sometimes the community school is not the place for the child, and the child needs the support of a District 75 program, where they have medical and mental health staff. They provide a routine and structure they need, and the staff helps parents, too.

What’s your greatest satisfaction in the job?

Decertifying a child who genuinely no longer needs special education services. When a child is in special education for a number of years and you get to another IEP meeting review, and the child is reading at grade level, math scores are good, and the behavior is fine. At that point, you see that the program was implemented properly. That is probably the best feeling, once parents see the IEP worked. Everyone at the table is smiling. Another aspect of my job that is really satisfying is helping the teachers, listening to them and allowing them to vent. And just knowing I’m here for them and the kids.

— as told to Linda Ocasio