Things I don't need from consultants and specialists

Despite budget cuts and funding reductions that have reduced services to our special education students, there still seems to be an army of consultants out there to "help" us.  I put help in quotes because the "help" isn't always helpful.  If you are a consultant, there are many things I need from you but just as many things that I don't.  Here are a few:

1. Judgment: Having someone come in and observe what you do is nerve-wracking as hell.  We suddenly begin to second guess what we are doing, we get nervous, we get flustered.  Then, after the observation is over, we are read the riot act.  How come you don't have a _____?  Why are you doing ______ that way?  How do you expect the student to _____ if you don't _____?  So, instead of a constructive assessment of our situation, we are getting the Spanish Inquisition.  Instead of feeling supported, we feel attacked.  And when we feel attacked, we get defensive. When we get defensive, we stop listening to you.  Now, the student isn't getting helped because why should we listen to that asshole consultant?

2. Links to websites:  I worked with one consultant who barraged me via email with links to "cool resources."  And, while I am sure that they were cool resources, I never clicked on one of them.  I have a weeks worth of therapy sessions to plan, IEPs and evaluations to complete, meetings to attend, and if that wasn't enough, I have to continuously document my activities to prove that I am highly effective at my job.  I really don't have time to spend exploring websites.  If you have a helpful resource that you found online, better to present it to me and my colleagues in person.  You could also send specific links to specific people based on their needs and tell them how you think the site would be useful to them.  Say, "this site has some great comprehension activity ideas that you might use with that student we were discussing the other day."   Information is coming at us from all sides, please filter the information before disseminating it.

3. Lists of suggestions from Google:  This one really pisses me off.  I can't stand it when I ask a consultant for help and they hand me a list of generic and vague recommendations from the internet which I could have looked up myself.  I got one of these lists from an Occupational Therapist from a community agency that had been brought in to consult on a student in my building.  Her report consisted of a list of 50 recommendations that were clearly inappropriate for the age and behavioral profile of the student.  One of these recommendations was to sit behind the student on the floor, put my arms around him and rock him back and forth.  The student was 24, a grown man, with a tendency toward aggression.  This suggestion was not only wildly inappropriate given his age but also potentially dangerous.  I was initially confused about the recommendations but, when I went on the internet and searched sensory strategies for Autism, there was the list verbatim.  As she was cutting and pasting, this so-called consultant neglected to notice that these were strategies for a child, not a grown ass man.  If you want to give me a list, at least pare it down to just those strategies that you feel are appropriate to the specific student or students in question.  And, please, make sure it comes from a reputable site.

4. Talk with no action: Similar to the long printed list of resources, I equally hate an onslaught of suggestions given verbally.  I am calling you in because I am struggling. Instead of TELLING me what to do, why don't you SHOW me?  The best consultants that I have ever worked with were willing to roll up their sleeves and pitch in.  My favorite Assistive Technology consultant would sit with me and the student and actually demonstrate the strategy that she had suggested. I learned more from a 5-minute demonstration from her than I did from all the verbal suggestions I have ever gotten. And, if you want to shut down all those naysayers who tell you that your suggestions won't work or that they have already tried everything, SHOW them that the strategy works.  Alternatively, by actually demonstrating the strategy, you might find that it doesn't work for that student and have a better idea of what the professionals that you are trying to help are going through.

5. Expecting multiple changes to be implemented immediately.  So, I've had you observe me and we've talked about what needs to change and you've shown me some strategies, but there is no way that I am going to be able to do all of those things at once.  Please help me decide what to start with and give me time to consistently implement that one thing before adding the others.  Change takes time.

6. Being a know-it-all.  There is an old saying, "nobody likes a know-it-all" and it's absolutely true.  Nobody does.  You are there to help by sharing your expertise and experience to assist those with whom you are consulting to make positive changes to BENEFIT THE STUDENT.  You are NOT there to boost your own ego.  Now, I will be the first one to admit that it can be quite satisfying to be the smartest person in the room and feel superior but, it doesn't help anyone.  If you want to actually help, be human and understand that those that you are working with are human too.

Sadly, I can say that in my many years of working as a speech-pathologist I can only name 2 consultants that were of any use to me.  In 22 years, only 2!!! That's sad.  When I think of all the precious dollars being spent on salaries for these people, it would be nice if competence were the rule rather than the exception.  And, I am well aware that consultants are providing services to multiple districts and hundreds of students.  but if all you are doing is running around passing judgment and handing out lists of useless suggestions then you might as well not be servicing any students at all.  And you will never gain the respect of those whom you serve.