ABSTRACT
PID/PA is considered the most pivotal stage in the SC model, an essential prerequisite to successful intervention. During PID/PA, the consultant and consultee create a shared understanding of the problem(s) to be solved through discussion, observation, and data collection; they prioritize a concern to be addressed first; define the problem in observable and measurable terms; measure baseline performance; and establish goals to close the gap between current performance and expected performance. Since consultation is an indirect service, consultants attend to consultee needs (i.e., knowledge, skill, self-confidence, and professional objectivity) in addition to student needs during this stage.
There are numerous challenges that emerge during the PID/PA stage. Consultants must clarify high-inference consultee language, including guiding the problem-solving beyond surface-level problem descriptors, and avoid the temptation to prematurely intervene or prescribe solutions. By working through the numerous activities provided in this chapter, and bearing in mind the chapter’s six Big Ideas, we hope you will feel more prepared to accurately identify and understand problems in collaboration with your consultee, thus boosting your chances for subsequent intervention success.
