What is an LEP?
Understanding the role of a Licensed Educational Psychologist.
What is an LEP?
A Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP) is a California state-licensed professional with specialized expertise in psychology and education. LEPs help students and families better understand learning strengths and challenges through assessment, consultation, counseling, and individualized recommendations to support academic, social, and emotional success.
What an LEP Can Do
Conduct comprehensive psychoeducational assessments (IEEs)
Evaluate cognitive, academic, social-emotional, and behavioral functioning to provide a clear understanding of a student's learning profile.
Identify learning, behavioral, and social-emotional strengths and needs
Use assessment results to clarify areas of strength and challenge and how they impact learning, school functioning, and daily life.
Provide individualized recommendations
Offer evidence-based strategies, accommodations, interventions, and supports to promote success at school and beyond.
Consult and collaborate
Work with families, educators, and other professionals to develop effective, student-centered plans and supports.
Offer counseling and skill development
Provide individual or small-group counseling to support social skills, emotional regulation, self-advocacy, and other areas of growth.
Support educational decision making
Assessment results and recommendations can inform decisions about eligibility, interventions, accommodations, and next steps for school, college, and future planning.
What an LEP Cannot Do
Prescribe medication
LEPs do not prescribe or manage medication.
Provide medical or psychiatric treatment
LEPs do not provide medical or psychiatric care.
Provide long-term mental health psychotherapy for clinical mental health disorders
LEPs can offer counseling related to educational, social, and emotional skill development, but do not provide long-term clinical psychotherapy for mental health disorders.
Provide diagnoses unrelated to educational impact
LEP assessments focus on questions that are educationally relevant — such as specific learning disorders or ADHD as it relates to academic functioning. Diagnoses outside the educational scope of practice are not within an LEP's role.
Replace school district responsibilities
LEPs provide independent assessments, consultation, and recommendations, but do not implement IEPs, provide district-based services, or make educational decisions for a district.
How LEP Services Can Help
A psychoeducational assessment provides valuable insight into a student's unique learning profile, helping to guide important decisions about interventions, accommodations, and educational placement. With a deeper understanding of strengths and challenges, families and educators can make informed choices that support the student's growth, confidence, and long-term success.
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