Concerns of newly arrived immigrant students: implications for school counselors

Professional School Counseling, Oct, 2003 by Franklyn C. Williams, S. Kent Butler

It may well be that many of the aforementioned suggested implications for school counselors infer a major paradigm shift in the way that school guidance and counseling is practiced. School counselors would need to be encouraged to continue to go the extra mile for their students--in this case, those who are newly arrived in this country. No matter what interventions are implemented or what programs are proposed, however, counselors must remember that foremost of all are the needs of their students. As discussed above, newly arrived immigrant students have special needs. These needs deserve attention just as do the needs of any other students. Once school counselors recognize and attend to these needs, newly arrived immigrant students will be better helped within American public schools.

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Franklyn C.Williams is a doctoral candidate in the Counselor Education program, Department of Child, Family, and Community Sciences. E-mail: frwillia@mail.ucf.edu.