Educational psychology involves the study of how people learn, including topics such as student outcomes, the instructional process, individual differences in learning, gifted learners and learning disabilities. Educational psychology is the study of how people learn. A degree or certificate in educational psychology can prepare you to guide and counsel students or consult with families and schools about special needs students. You could also design school programs, evaluate the success of school programs or conduct research about learning. Careers in educational psychology combine child and family counselling with knowledge of cognitive development and the education system. Educational psychologists work in a variety of functions. Some are college and university researchers and professors who study how people learn in educational settings. Others are school administrators who design curricula or conduct evaluations. School psychologists design programs for students with special needs and offer counselling within the schools. Other educational psychologists work in private practice and offer consultation for children, families and teachers. Each person has an individual profile of characteristics, abilities and challenges that result from predisposition, learning and development. These manifest as individual differences in intelligence, creativity, cognitive style, motivation and the capacity to process information, communicate, and relate to others. The most prevalent disabilities found among school age children are attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disability, dyslexia, and speech disorder. Less common disabilities include mental retardation, hearing impairment, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and blindness. Although theories of intelligence have been discussed by philosophers since Plato, intelligence testing is an invention of educational psychology, and is coincident with the development of that discipline. The objective of this book is to provide guidelines for students to understand the topic.