An international trend in school psychology services is a shift from an emphasis on assessment-based activities to a paradigm of consultation problem-solving and behavioural intervention. As the profession experiences an expansion of roles and functions, school psychologists should have an understanding of a critical aspect of behaviour change: treatment integrity (Gresham, 1989). Treatment integrity (or fidelity) refers to the extent to which an intervention is implemented as intended (or planned). This article describes the construct of treatment integrity as it relates to the implementation of consultation-derived behaviour intervention plans. Practical approaches for assessing and monitoring the integrity of treatments are presented. A treatment-monitoring interview (TMI) is proposed as an initial step towards developing a technology to assess and facilitate treatment integrity in school-based behavioural consultation practice. Limitations, implications for practice and future research directions are discussed.
Anthun, R. (1999) ‘Quality and Improvement Potential in School Psychology Services’ , School Psychology International20: 163-175 .
2.
Bramlett, R. K. and Murphy, J. J. (1998) ‘School Psychology Perspectives on Consultation: Key Contributions to the Field’ , Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation9: 29-55 .
3.
Bramlett, R. K. , Murphy, J. J. , Johnson, J. , Wallingsford, L. and Hall, J. D. (2002) ‘Contemporary Practices in School Psychology: A National Survey of Roles and Referral Problems’ , Psychology in the Schools39: 327-335 .
4.
Codding, R. S. , Feinberg, A. B. , Dunn, E. K. and Pace, G. M. (2005) ‘Effects of Immediate Performance Feedback on Implementation of Behaviour Support Plans’ , Journal of Applied Behaviour Analysis38: 205-219 .
5.
Elliott, S. N. and Busse, R. T. (1993) ‘Effective Treatments with Behavioural Consultation’, in J. E. Zins , T. R. Kratochwill and S. N. Elliott (eds) Handbook of Consultation Services for Children: Applications in Educational and Clinical Settings, pp. 179-203. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass .
6.
Erchul, W. P. and Martens, B. K. (2002) School Consultation: Conceptual and Empirical Bases of Practice, 2nd edn.New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum .
7.
Erchul, W. P. and Schulte, A. C. (1996) ‘Behavioural Consultation as a Work in Progress: A Reply to Witt, Resham, and Noell’ , Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation7: 345-354 .
8.
Farrell, P. , Jimerson, S. R. , Kalambouka, A. and Benoit, J. (2005) ‘Teachers’ Perceptions of School Psychologists in Different Countries’ , School Psychology International26: 525-544 .
9.
Gilman, R. and Gabriel, S. (2004) ‘Perceptions of School Psychological Services by Educational Professionals: Results from a Multi-State Survey Pilot Study’ , School Psychology Review33: 271-286 .
10.
Gresham, F. M. (1989) ‘Assessment of Treatment Integrity in School Consultation and Prereferral Intervention’ , School Psychology Review18: 37-50 .
11.
Gresham, F. M. (2004) ‘Current Status and Future Directions of School-Based Behavioural Interventions’ , School Psychology Review33: 326-343 .
12.
Gresham, F. M. , Gansle, K. A. and Noell, G. H. (1993a) ‘Treatment Integrity in Applied Behaviour Analysis with Children’ , Journal of Applied Behaviour Analysis26: 257-263 .
13.
Gresham, F. M. , Gansle, K. A. , Noell, G. H. , Cohen, S. and Rosenblum, S. (1993b) ‘Treatment Integrity of School-Based Behavioural Intervention Studies: 1980-1990’ , School Psychology Review22: 254-272 .
14.
Gresham, F. M. , MacMillan, D. , Beebe-Frankenberger, M. E. and Bocian, K. M. (2000) ‘Treatment Integrity in Learning Disabilities Intervention Research: Do We Really Know How Treatments are Implemented?’ , Learning Disabilities Research and Practice15: 198-205 .
15.
Gutkin, T. B. (1993) ‘Conducting Consultation Research’, in J. E. Zins , T. R. Kratochwill and S. N. Elliott (eds) Handbook of Consultation Services for Children: Applications in Educational and Clinical Settings, pp. 227-248. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass
16.
Gutkin, T. B. (1996) ‘Core Elements of Consultation Service Delivery for Special Service Personnel: Rationale, Practice, and Some Directions for the Future’ , Remedial and Special Education17: 333-340 .
17.
Jones, K. M. , Wickstrom, K. F. and Friman, P. C. (1997) ‘The Effects of Observational Feedback on Treatment Integrity in School-Based Behavioural Consultation’ , School Psychology Quarterly12: 316-326 .
18.
Knoff, H. M. , Hines, C. V. and Kromrey, J. D. (1995) ‘Finalising the Consultant Effectiveness Scale: An Analysis and Validation of the Characteristics of Effective Consultants’ , School Psychology Review24: 480-496 .
19.
Kratochwill, T. R. and Bergan, J. R. (1990) Behavioural Consultation in Applied Settings: An Individual Guide. New York: Plenum .
20.
Kratochwill, T. R. , Elliott, S. N. and Busse, R. T. (1995) ‘Behaviour Consultation: A Five Year Evaluation of Consultant and Client Outcomes’ , School Psychology Quarterly10: 87-117 .
21.
Kratochwill, T. R. and Stoiber, K. C. (2000) ‘Uncovering Critical Research Agendas for School Psychology: Conceptual Dimensions and Future Directions’ , School Psychology Review29: 591-603 .
22.
Lane, K. L. , Bocian, K. M. , MacMillan, D. L. and Gresham, F. M. (2004) ‘Treatment Integrity: An Essential - But Often Forgotten - Component of School-Based Interventions’ , Preventing School Failure48: 36-43 .
23.
Larney, R. (2003) ‘School-Based Consultation in the United Kingdom: Principles, Practice, and Effectiveness’ , School Psychology International24: 5-19 .
24.
MacLeod, I. R. , Jones, K. M. , Somers, C. L. and Havey, J. M. (2001) ‘An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of School-Based Behavioural Consultation’ , Journal of Educationaland Psychological Consultation12: 203-216 .
25.
Medway, F. J. and Updyke, J. F. (1985) ‘Meta-Analysis of Consultation Outcome Studies’ , American Journal of Community Psychology13: 489-505 .
26.
Mortenson, B. P. and Witt, J. C. (1998) ‘The Use of Weekly Performance Feedback to Increase Teacher Implementation of a Prereferral Intervention’ , School Psychology Review27: 613-627 .
27.
Noell, G. H. , Duhon, G. J. , Gatti, S. L. and Connell, J. E. (2002) ‘Consultation, Follow-Up, and Implementation of Behaviour Management Interventions in General Education’ , School Psychology Review31: 217-234 .
28.
Noell, G. H. , Witt, J. C. , Gilbertson, D. N. , Rainer, D. D. and Freeland, J. T. (1997) ‘Increasing Teacher Intervention Implementation in General Education Settings Through Consultation and Performance Feedback’ , School Psychology Quarterly12: 77-88 .
29.
Noell, G. H. , Witt, J. C. , LaFleur, L. H. , Mortenson, B. P. , Ranier, D. D. and LeVelle, J. (2000) ‘A Comparison of Two Follow-Up Strategies to Increase Teacher Intervention Implementation in General Education Following Consultation’ , Journal of Applied Behaviour Analysis33: 271-284 .
30.
Noell, G. H. , Witt, J. C. , Slider, N. J. , Connell, J. E. , Gatti, S. L. , Williams, K. L. , Keonig, J. L. , Resetar, J. L. and Duhon, G. J. (2005) ‘Treatment Implementation Following Behavioural Consultation in Schools: A Comparison of Three Follow-Up Strategies’ , School Psychology Review34: 87-106 .
31.
Perez-Gonzalez, F. , Garcia-Ros, R. and Gomez-Artiga, A. (2004) ‘A Survey of Teacher Perceptions of the School Psychologist’s Skills in the Consultation Process: An Exploratory Factor Analysis’ , School Psychology International25: 30-41 .
32.
Peterson, L. , Homer, A. L. and Wonderlich, S. A. (1982) ‘The Integrity of Independent Variables in Behaviour Analysis’ , Journal of Applied Behaviour Analysis15: 477-492 .
33.
Reschly, D. J. (2000) ‘The Present and Future Status of School Psychology in the United States’ , School Psychology Review29: 507-522 .
34.
Sheridan, S. M. and Gutkin, T. B. (2000) ‘The Ecology of School Psychology: Examining and Changing our Paradigm for the 21st Century’ , School Psychology Review29: 485-502 .
35.
Sheridan, S. M. , Welch, M. and Orme, S. F. (1996) ‘Is Consultation Effective? A Review of Outcome Research’ , Remedial and Special Education17: 341-354 .
36.
Truscott, S. D. , Richardson, R. D. , Cohen, C. , Frank, A. and Palmeri, D. (2003) ‘Does Rational Persuasion Influence Potential Consultees?’ , Psychology in the Schools40: 627-640 .
37.
Watkins, M. W. , Crosby, E. G. and Pearson, J. L. (2001) ‘Role of the School Psychologist: Perceptions of School Staff’ , School Psychology International22: 64-73 .
38.
Wickstrom, K. F. , Jones, K. M. , LaFleur, L. H. and Witt, J. C. (1998) ‘An Analysis of Treatment Integrity in School-Based Behavioural Consultation’ , School Psychology Quarterly13: 141-154 .
39.
Wilczynski, S. M. , Mandal, R. L. and Fusilier, I. (2000) ‘Bridges and Barriers in Behavioural Consultation’ , Psychology in the Schools37: 495-504 .
40.
Wilkinson, L. A. (1997) ‘School-Based Behavioural Consultation: Delivering Treatment for Children’s Externalising Behaviour in the Classroom’ , Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation8: 255-276 .
41.
Wilkinson, L. A. (2003) ‘Using Behavioural Consultation to Reduce Challenging Behaviour in the Classroom’ , Preventing School Failure47: 100-105 .
42.
Wilkinson, L. A. (in press) ‘Bridging the Research-To-Practice Gap in School-based Consultation: An Example Using Case Studies’ , Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation.
43.
Witt, J. C. , Gresham, F. M. and Noell, G. H. (1996) ‘What’s Behavioural About Behavioural Consultation’ ?, Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation7: 327-344 .
44.
Witt, J. C. , Noell, G. H. , LaFleur, L. H. and Mortenson, B. P. (1997) ‘Teacher Usage of Interventions in General Education: Measurement and Analysis of the Independent Variable’ , Journal of Applied Behaviour Analysis30: 693-696 .
