Article 2014

How we treat our own: The experiences and characteristics of psychology trainees with disabilities

Rehabilitation Psychology
Journal · Vol. 59 · Issue 4 · pp. 367-375
Abstract

Objective: To better understand the characteristics and experiences of psychologists and trainees with disabilities. Method: An invitation to participate in a survey of psychologists and psychology trainees with disabilities was sent to professional listservs related to psychology and/or disability. Fifty-six trainees and psychologists with doctoral training in clinical, counseling, school, or rehabilitation psychology completed the survey. Over half (57.1%) were practicing psychologists and 42.9% were current trainees. The most commonly reported disabilities were physical, sensory, and chronic health. Results: The majority of the participants reported experiencing disability-related discrimination during their training, and less than one third had received mentorship from psychologists with disabilities. Less than half of respondents disclosed their disability to a university disability services office, and many relied on informal accommodations alone. Most participants did not disclose their disability during the graduate school, internship, or postdoctoral application processes. Conclusions: Professional psychology programs and training sites should work to remove barriers and provide support for trainees with disabilities, especially during preinternship doctoral training. Programs should not expect disability services offices to provide all support for students with disabilities, especially support related to clinical training. © 2014 American Psychological Association.

Keywords

Author Keywords

disability discrimination graduate school Psychologists with disabilities Psychology trainee

Index Keywords

adult attitude to health female human male medical education procedures psychology Humans Internship and Residency Decision making Article interpersonal communication young adult Students Vocational education student education disability disabled person learning disorder physical disability middle aged major clinical study teacher counseling academic achievement personal experience licensing aged Mentors ethnicity graduate student psychologist health survey social discrimination Resource management Disabled Persons statistics and numerical data Education, Graduate prejudice sensory dysfunction
Author Affiliations
Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States
Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Bryan, TX, United States
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
References 10 References
1 Barriers to Students with Disabilities in Psychology Training, (2009)
2 Resource Guide for Psychology Graduate Students with Disabilities, (2011)
3 Revised Competency Benchmarks for Professional Psychology, (2011)
4 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 42 U S C A § 12101 Et Seq, (1993)
5 Andrews, Erin E., Providing culturally competent supervision to trainees with disabilities: In rehabilitation settings, Rehabilitation Psychology, 58, 3, pp. 233-244, (2013)
6 2006 Appic Match Survey of Internship Applicants, (2006)
7 2008 Appic Match Survey of Internship Applicants, (2008)
8 2009 Appic Match Survey of Internship Applicants, (2009)
9 2010 Appic Match Survey of Internship Applicants, (2010)
10 2011 Appic Match Survey of Internship Applicants, (2011)
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