Using Interventions That Exist in the Natural Environment to Increase Treatment Integrity and Social Influence in Consultation

Abstract

A common purpose of classroom-based consultation is to solve an identified problem through modification of the existing classroom system. Traditionally, the development of these alterations has been left largely to the consultant. Throughout the article, we propose that the magnitude of alterations should be given greater consideration when selecting an intervention. Significant changes to the existing (and functional) system are more likely to be rejected than small adaptations that utilize existing practices. Whenever possible, small changes should be made, as they may be the only changes that are actually implemented and have greater potential to endure. Suggestions to incorporate this perspective within the classroom-based consultation process, with a particular focus on the problem-solving and social influence tasks (Erchul & Martens, 2002), are offered along with acknowledgment of potential limitations.