Case Vignettes of School Psychologists’ Consultations Involving Hispanic Youth

Abstract

Despite the recognized importance of multicultural issues in school consultation, there has been a paucity of research in the area, especially regarding Hispanic issues. The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate how school consultation was adapted in cases involving Hispanic youth. The anonymous case vignettes were provided by 49 members of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). The 4 thematic categories that resulted from the analyses were (a)Justification, including using cultural norms to justify/explain a behavior or design an intervention; (b) Education of parents and/or school staff regarding differences in cultures and expectations; (c) Language adaptations, such as consultants speaking Spanish, providing interpreters, or otherwise preventing a language barrier; and (d) Culture Recognized But Not Salient, in which the child's Hispanic ethnicity was mentioned, but no specific cultural adaptations were made. Implications of the study are discussed for practice and research. NOTE: Mary M. Clare of Lewis & Clark College is column editor for DIVERSITY IN CONSULTATION. Please submit manuscripts and address inquiries regarding the Diversity in Consultation column to Mary M. Clare, PhD; MSC 86, Counseling Psychology; Lewis & Clark College; Portland, OR 97219; 503–768-6069; henning@ lclark.edu; Fax: 503–768-6065.