Exploring Effective and Efficient Prereferral Interventions: A Component Analysis of Behavioral Consultation

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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to assess effects of three increasingly inclusive versions of the Behavioral Consultation (BC) model on problem behavior in mainstream classrooms in an effort to develop an effective and efficient approach to prereferral intervention. Subjects were 48 teachers, their 48 most difficult-to-teach nonhandicapped students, and 12 school consultants, representing nine inner-city middle schools. Half the teachers were randomly and evenly assigned to one of three BC versions; the remaining 24 teachers were controls. Pre-treatment and post-treatment teacher ratings indicated that more inclusive variants of BC were more effective than the least inclusive version in reducing problem behavior. However, direct observation of student behavior at pre intervention and post-intervention failed to corroborate this result. Implications for implementation and evaluation of teacher consultation are discussed.