Children with developmental disabilities (DD) experience higher rates of mental health (MH) concerns than their non-disabled peers, yet school-based mental health professionals often lack the training needed to support this population effectively. One contributing factor is limited clinical preparation during graduate education. This pilot study examined the use of mixed-reality simulation as a training tool for school psychology and school counseling graduate students to increase their clinical interactions with children presenting with co-occurring MH and DD. Participants reported increased confidence and preparedness in addressing mental health needs among children with DD. Implications will be discussed.
Graybill et al. (Sun,) studied this question.