Increasing implementation of special education instruction in mainstream preschools: direct and generalized effects of nondirective consultation.

The team worked with four mainstream preschool teachers. Each teacher had students with IEP goals.

Teachers watched short clips of their own class or talked about daily routines. The consultant only asked open questions. No scripts. No telling.

The goal: let teachers invent ways to slip IEP work into circle time, snack, or play.

After one or two 20-minute chats, teachers doubled the minutes they spent on IEP targets.

Kids hit more goals, even in routines the coach never touched. One boy who rarely spoke started asking for toys during cleanup.

Collin et al. (2013) later added a step: set clear goals first, then coach. Their COMPASS model still used teacher ideas, but added goal sheets and follow-up. Results stayed positive, showing the field moved from "just talk" to "talk plus plans."

Downs et al. (2008) used short feedback after DTT training. Like A et al., brief input lifted teacher skill and child learning. Both studies say the same thing: small, fast feedback beats long workshops.

Zhu et al. (2020) took the idea online. They gave delayed Zoom feedback to BCBA trainees in China. Fidelity rose, proving the light-touch model works even across time zones.

You do not need to script every lesson. Show teachers a 3-minute clip of their own class, ask "Where could you embed a goal?" and let them own the answer. One 20-minute chat can double IEP instruction time and spark child gains that spread to new routines. Try it during your next classroom visit.