The Effect of Behavioral Consultation on Educational Recommendations: A Single Case Experimental Design

A single case experimental design was used to examine the effects of behavioral consultation in improving educational recommendations for school-aged children at an inpatient psychiatric unit. A school psychologist provided consultation services to a chief child psychiatrist. A multiple baseline design was used to analyze changes on two dependent variables: quantity and quality of educational recommendations written in psychiatric discharge summaries. The study was conducted over consecutive 4-week periods of no consultation, consultation focused on increasing the quantity of educational recommendations, and consultation regarding specific recommendations on individual cases, followed by a 4-week return to the no consultation condition. Results show increases in numbers of recommendations during treatment and follow-up. Quality of recommendations improved as quantity increased. It was recommended that future research investigate replications with various types of consultees in different settings, including increasing prereferral and/or post-referral recommendations for at-risk children.