Professor and Director
Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ
Stefan Dombrowski is a graduate professor, researcher, author, and licensed psychologist. He is director of the graduate program in school psychology at Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ. Dr. Dombrowski's teaching and research focuses on the promotion of evidence-based psychological assessment via his interest in quantitative psychology, scientific decision-making, and measurement issues. He also conducts research on prenatal exposures to teratogens in relation to later psychological, behavioral, and academic outcomes in children. Dr. Dombrowski previously investigated protecting children from the adverse effects of child maltreatment. He has published five books and more than 110 articles/book chapters. Dr. Dombrowski is an associate editor of the Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment and serves on the editorial boards of several journals in school and assessment psychology. He has presented his scholarship at conferences throughout the world.
Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ
Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ
Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Passaic County Community College, Paterson, NJ
Post Doctoral Fellowship in Clinical Psychology
University of California, Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California
Department of Pediatrics, CAARE Diagnostic and Treatment Center
Doctor of Philosophy
Concentration in School Psychology (APA & NASP approved).
Minor in Counseling Psychology (APA & CACREP approved).
The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
Master of Business Administration
The University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
Bachelor of Business Administration
College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia (Inactive), California (Inactive)
Dr. Dombrowski’s research interests include evidence-based psychological assessment, scientific decision-making, and quantitative psychology. He also conducts research on prenatal exposures to teratogens in relation to later psychological, behavioral and academic outcomes in youth. Dr. Dombrowski previously conducted research on protecting children from the the adverse effects of child maltreatment. He has published five books and more than 110 articles/chapters, and has presented his scholarship at a variety of national and international conferences.
The second edition of this textbook provides expanded and updated guidance on the process of psychoeducational assessment and report writing for children in grades K-12. It casts the entire process within a newly proposed evidence-based psychoeducational assessment and report writing framework, and explains how to convey results through detailed, well-written reports. The new edition guides readers, step by step, through the assessment process – collecting data, writing reports, and communicating conclusions – for students with conditions spanning the range of IDEA classifications. Chapters offer a broad understanding of assessment and communication skills as well as the ethical, legal, cultural, and professional considerations that come with psychoeducational evaluation. In addition, chapters significantly expand on the coverage of learning disabilities, autism spectrum, intellectual disabilities, gifted, and other health-impaired and emotional disturbance assessment. The text updates sample reports from the previous edition, offering annotated commentary in the report explaining salient points and major decisions, and incorporates additional report samples to demonstrate fully the assessment and report writing process.
Key topics addressed in the revised and expanded edition include:
During the past several decades, interest in children’s psychological disorders has grown steadily within the research community, resulting in a burgeoning knowledge base. The majority of the attention and funding, not surprisingly, has focused on the more prevalent and well-known conditions. Although this raises the odds that young people with more well-known disorders such as ADHD, autism, and learning disorders will receive much-needed professional assessment and intervention, children with less frequently encountered disorders may experience a higher risk of misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment.
Useful data has been scattered throughout the literature for severe-but-less-frequent childhood psychological disorders, including: fire setting; gender identity disorder; impulse control disorders (i.e., kleptomania, trichotillomania, intermittent explosive disorder); selective mutism; Munchausen by proxy; childhood schizophrenia; gang involvement; sexual offending; self-injurious behavior; and feral children. This concise volume offers up-to-date information on these conditions, which, though relatively rare, may have profound effect not only on the children themselves but also their families, friends, and the community at large. Coverage of each disorder is presented in an accessible format covering:
This book provides evidence that maternal fever during pregnancy is linked with adverse behavioral, temperamental, and academic outcomes in children. Maternal fever during pregnancy, particularly during the second trimester, is thought to have an adverse impact on the development of the central nervous system (CNS) resulting in abnormalities of behavior and temperament that can be observed in childhood. These outcomes tend to remain clinically silent at birth and often evade detection until later in development when the cognitive, social and language requirements of life become more complex and demanding. This finding is consistent with the gestational influenza-schizophrenia association which is also extensively reviewed in this book. Maternal fever during pregnancy appears to be one prenatal insult among the growing list of prenatal exposures that might contribute to less than optimal developmental effects. With its clear writing style yet rigorous scientific approach, this book is a must-have resource for psychiatrists, psychologists, medical professionals, educational professionals, social workers as well as researchers and graduate students in these areas.
The first attempt to bring together the full range of prenatal events that have been shown to affect childhood psychopathologies
Witten at a technical level that can be assimilated by child psychologists, child psychologists in training, and related personnel from other disciplines
Contains a glossary of medical and neurological terms to aid in making the technical matters more comprehensible for non-specialists
Since arriving at Rider University more than 20 years ago Dr. Dombrowski has accumulated many years of experience teaching graduate students in school psychology, education and counseling. Dr. Dombrowski’s pedagogical style is eclectic incorporating constructivist, behavioral, and humanistic notions regarding teaching. Throughout his coursework Dr. Dombrowski challenges students to think critically about psychological and educational matters so that they can satisfactorily distinguish practices with empirical support from those that are non evidence-based and even pseudoscientific. One of the more distinguishing characteristics of Dr. Dombrowski’s pedagogical approach is his capacity to incorporate his own research and clinical experience into his teaching. This contributes to a uniquely enriched pedagogical environment for graduate students that serves to influence their embrace of the scientist-practitioner model of clinical practice.
Listed below are the courses that Dr. Dombrowski has taught since arriving at Rider University. Given the diversity of content they all require flexibility of teaching methodology and an array of content knowledge.
Human Growth & Development
Applied Behavior Analysis
Counseling Psychology Theories
Psychology of Learning Disabilities
Cognitive Assessment
Practicum in Psychoeducational Assessment
Biological Foundations of Behavior
Psychology of Cognitive Processes and Learning
Psychology of Exceptionality
Professional Issues in School Psychology
Statistics and Quantitative Analysis
Internship in School Psychology.
Developmental Child Psychopathology
Standardized Measures of Academics and Behavior
Psychoeducational Assessment & Report Writing
Conducted psychoeducational and functional behavioral assessments for a range of IDEA classification categories (2001-2020). Provide psychotherapy to children, adolescents, and adults referred for emotional and behavioral difficulties including anxiety, depression, oppositionality, anger control, social skills and general adjustment (2001-present). Conducted forensic psychological evaluations for the New Jersey Court system. Provided psychological evaluations of youth incarcerated in juvenile detention centers. Testified before New Jersey Superior Court in matters of child custody and parental visitation (2002-2010).
Provided individual trauma focused cognitive-behavioral therapy and group psychotherapy to children and adolescents who have experienced a host of internalizing and externalizing problems related to child maltreatment. Provided Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), a behaviorally-based parenting skills training program, to preschool and school aged children and their caregivers. Conducted comprehensive psychological evaluations to determine diagnostic impressions, treatment recommendations, placement of children, termination of parental rights, and reunification recommendations. Expanded upon knowledge of current literature on child abuse and neglect. Testified as an expert witness in California Juvenile and Superior Courts. Refined ability to conceptualize clinical situations and demonstrate application of scientific theory/research in case management and psychotherapeutic responsibilities through formal twice weekly clinical case conferencing.
Conducted psychological and psychoeducational evaluations of children and adolescents referred for attention problems, learning difficulties, school adjustment problems, and behavior and emotional problems. Prepared psychological reports and provided feedback to parents within the context of an IEP. Provided individual counseling and psychotherapy to children, adolescents and adults within a community-based counseling center open to all residents of the school district. Provided group counseling including bereavement, anger management, and social skills. Provided parenting skills training for pre-school aged Head Start children and their families. Consulted with school staff, conducted functional behavioral assessments, and developed interventions for referred students.
Acquired advanced psychotherapy and counseling skills, including skills in couples counseling and therapy with adolescents, college students, and adults. Acquired knowledge of a range of theoretical approaches and techniques to address specific clinical issues (e.g., anxiety, depression, and anger management; child behavioral problems; family dysfunction; and parent- child problems). Honed ability to conceptualize clinical situations and demonstrate application of theory in case management and psychotherapeutic responsibilities. Participated in weekly individual and group supervision, and weekly clinical staffing.
Conducted neuropsychological assessment of college students who were referred for learning problems. Gained familiarity with a range of norm-referenced and qualitative neuropsychological assessment instruments. Prepared psychological reports and provided feedback to clients.
Provided psychological assessment of school-aged children and adolescents referred for specific learning disabilities, attention problems, school adjustment problems, and behavior and emotional problems. Provided psychological assessment of infants and preschool age children who were referred for developmental delays, autistic spectrum disorders, school readiness issues, learning, and behavioral problems. Prepared psychological reports and provided feedback to parents. Attended clinic meetings for case review and presentation. Acquired group psychotherapy skills. Conducted ADHD and social skills training groups. Acquired skills in functional behavioral assessment for the design and implementation of effective behavior support plans in the schools.
New Jersey Association of School Psychologist's Jane Bostrum Award for Scientific Contributions(2020)
Article of the Year, Journal of School Psychology (2018)
Elected Member, Society for the Study of School Psychology (2017)
Rider University's Dominick A. Iorio Distinguished Research Award (2011)
Licensed Psychologist:
New Jersey (#4206)
Pennsylvania (#15040)
Certified School Psychologist:
-New Jersey
-Pennsylvania
-Georgia (Inactive)
-California (Inactive)
View my full Curriculum Vitae here.
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