ABSTRACT
In many areas of psychology skilled professionals have endeavored to inform peers, novices, and the public about best practices in providing service to clients in general or to clients sharing a feature in common. These best practices are established by research and the accumulated wisdom of skilled professionals. An example is the recently approved the Guidelines for Psychotherapy with Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients (American Psychological Association [APA], 2000). Professional organizations also create statements about particular areas of practice such as educational and psychological testing. For example, the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, developed by the American Educational Research Association (AERA), American Psychological Association (APA), and the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME), have been revised over the years and have shaped the practice of assessment in school psychology. In addition, most professional associations of psychologists take the time to develop codes of ethics for their members. In school psychology, national organizations such as APA, the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), and many State Associations (e.g. California Association of School Psychologists) have developed both statements about ethics, and about best practices.
