An Approach for School Counselors: Behavioral Consultation with Parents of Youth with School Attendance Problems

apply to students with school attendance problems (SAPs). A school counselor adopted the rapid school return approach in a school-based behavioral consultation with parents of a 13-year-old Japanese male student who refused to attend school. After the parents implemented the approach, the student resumed his regular school attendance, which continued until the end of junior high school. The A–B design in a single case study was employed as the research design. Throughout the implementation of the approach, the findings indicated that: (a) school counselors should conduct behavioral consultation sessions with parents periodically; (b) school counselors and parents should discuss who is responsible for the escorting process; (c) school staff and school counselors should collect attendance accurate data of students with SAPs daily until the end of the academic year; and (d) school counselors should view SAPs as a persistent problem for students, which can relapse at certain points during compulsory school. This current case study suggests that behavioral consultation with parents of youth with SAPs can be effective in dealing with students who refuse to attend school and are unwilling to seek specialists’ help.

Examining the Efficacy of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation for Middle School Students With Externalizing Behavior Problems

This exploratory study examined the efficacy of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation for addressing classroom disruptive behavior for middle school students with externalizing behavior problems. In addition, the parent–teacher relationship, parent and teacher competence in problem-solving, and acceptability were examined. Participants were parents and teachers of four middle school students with externalizing behavior problems. Disruptive classroom behavior data were examined in a concurrent multiple baseline across participants design. Parent–teacher relationship, competence in problem-solving, and acceptability data were examined descriptively. Findings suggested improvements in disruptive behavior for each participant. However, limitations impeded interpretations. Parent–teacher relationship data were inconclusive. Six out of eight parents and teachers with pretest and posttest data reported improvements in their competence in problem-solving. All parents and teachers perceived the consultation process favorably. Limitations and future directions are discussed.