Wiki: Consultation

PURPOSE of Consulting

To assist an individual or group of individuals to clarify and address immediate concerns by following a systematic problem-solving process.

DEFINING FEATURES of Consulting

Scope

A consultant may be external or internal and consultation may respond to child-specific, practitioner, program, or organizational issues.

Framework

A carefully planned and coordinated sequence of services that are negotiated with the client  and typically include a series of face-to-face visits that follow predictable stages including entry, assessment, goal and strategy development, implementation, and evaluation

Strategies

Throughout the process, requires effective communication skills such as questioning and active listening in combination with many other strategies to identify problems and develop solutions in collaboration with consultee, with goal of equipping consultee to address similar problems in future

Uses various approaches to accomplish specific tasks at each consultation stage, such as self-disclosure to build trust at entry and coaching to support implementation

EXAMPLES of Consulting from the EARLY CHILDHOOD FIELD

A consultant works with a Head Start teacher and teaching assistant to address the needs of a child with disabilities who has an Individualized Education Program (IEP).  Through a series of meetings and conversations, they determine the child’s current level of performance, identify a goal for change, and choose specific intervention strategies to address this goal. The consultant observes and provides feedback to classroom staff as they implement new classroom practices. The final step consists of evaluating the process and outcomes of consultation.