GENERAL-EDUCATION TEACHERS KNOWLEDGE AND SELF-REPORTED USE OF CLASSROOM INTERVENTIONS FOR WORKING WITH DIFFICULT-TO-TEACH STUDENTS - IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSULTATION, PREREFERRAL INTERVENTION AND INCLUSIVE SERVICES

Twenty general education teachers were interviewed about working with mildly handicapped students in their classrooms. Using a referral case and a standardized vignette, teachers described problems, goals, inte rventions, data collection, and consultation practices employed across Prereferral, Prereferral Intervention, Referral, and Post-Referral ph ases of service delivery. Most participants demonstrated only vague kn owledge of classroom interventions. Few accommodations were made in ge neral classrooms for mildly-handicapped children, particularly followi ng the Prereferral phase. Participants consulted primarily with other general educators and secondarily with special educators. Consultation with school psychologists was unusual. Discussion focuses on implicat ions for consultation, prereferral intervention, and inclusive service s.