Preparation of Consultants to Serve Minority Preschool Children through Teacher and Parent Consultees

In this project school psychology graduate students learn to consult with teachers and parents of preschool children. During the last three years, 23 students have been trained in conjoint behavioral consultation. Training consisted of reading various articles and books regarding multicultural issues, classroom management skills, preschool concerns, and interview techniques. Students also were trained in behavioral consultation techniques through a hypermedia program or videotape model and role playing cases through problem scenarios.

After students demonstrated mastery in consultation techniques, they were assigned actual cases from local preschools. Each case involved completing three interviews, developing appropriate interventions, and monitoring progress through systematic observations. Consultants also completed written reports regarding the targeted problem, intervention techniques, and the results of consultation.