Prereferral Intervention: Encouraging Notes on Preliminary Findings

We review studies of prereferral intervention models and their effects on such variables as referral rates, student achievement and behavior, and consumer satisfaction. The models were found to vary in organization; some involved collaboration among a group of teacher colleagues, and others involved formal consultation between a teacher and a specialist. The work of Chalfant and Pysh best exemplifies the former; the work of the Fuchses and their colleagues best exemplifies the latter. The research to date has been more formative than summative in nature, and success has been achieved in different ways. Collaborative models enjoy great consensual validity and widespread adoption; research on consultative approaches has identified variables responsible for the success of behavioral consultation. We call for additional research and demonstration and advocate more systematic analysis of collaborative approaches and more widespread implementation of consultative ones.