A systematic review of school teleconsultation: implications for research and practice

Consultation was formally introduced in school settings during the 1960s, with the first systematic review of the school consultation literature occurring roughly 40 years ago. The scrutiny that consultants placed on school consultation practice has led educators to identify different consultation models and delivery mediums, and assess the extent to which each remains feasible in the midst of an evolving educational landscape. In light of the ubiquitous presence of technology in schools, school consultants have increasingly used teleconsultation to ensure their continued support to students, families, and educators. Although a growing literature base supports the use of school teleconsultation, the overall status of this service delivery model is still unknown. As such, this systematic review provides a summary of the school teleconsultation literature, which included a total of 13 articles. The outcomes of this review were summarized in terms of services delivered through teleconsultation, consultation models, characteristics of the consultation triad, design quality characteristics, the technologies used, and study outcomes. Overall, summary outcomes provide preliminary evidence for the use of teleconsultation as an effective service delivery model for schools. The results of this review are further discussed in terms of using teleconsultation to support students and educators in schools. Impact Statement Two NASP domains permeate all service areas: data-based decision making and consultation and collaboration. The interplay between the two aforementioned NASP domains has been at the cornerstone of contemporary school consultation research with respect to technology integration. Teleconsultation has potential to serve as a contemporary medium allowing the unabated delivery of school psychology services to students and educators.