Prereferral intervention: a prescriptive approach

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• School Psychology
• Behavioral Interventions

Background:

• Prereferral intervention is crucial for addressing student behavioral challenges in mainstream classrooms.
• The Behavioral Consultation (BC) model offers a framework for supporting students with problem behaviors.
• Assessing the efficacy of increasingly inclusive BC models is needed for efficient intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of three increasingly inclusive versions of the Behavioral Consultation (BC) model.
• To determine the effectiveness of BC variants as a prereferral intervention for student problem behavior.
• To identify the most efficient and effective BC approach for general education settings.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 43 general educators and 43 students without disabilities across seven urban middle schools.
• Assignment of teachers and students to three BC groups (least, more, most inclusive) and a control group.
• Preintervention, postintervention, and follow-up behavioral observations to assess student behavior changes.

Main Results:

• More inclusive BC versions demonstrated significantly greater reductions in student problem behavior compared to the least inclusive version.
• The study found a dose-response relationship between BC inclusivity and positive behavioral outcomes.
• All tested BC interventions showed some positive effects on reducing problem behavior.

Conclusions:

• Increasing the inclusivity of the BC model enhances its effectiveness in reducing student problem behavior.
• Behavioral Consultation is a viable and effective strategy for prereferral interventions in mainstream classrooms.
• Findings support the practical application of inclusive BC models for improving student behavior and supporting educators.