Knowledge and Skills Inventory for Consultants

Please check the appropriate box to rate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement
regarding your knowledge and skill as a consultant.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Disagree Agree Agree Strongly
disagree somewhat agree
With regard to basic knowledge, I
1. Understand the stages/phases of the consultation yes
process
2. Understand the need to match possible consultation yes
approaches and specific consultant situations,
settings, and needs
3. Am able to discuss the purpose of consultation in yes
the early childhood setting and the roles of the
consultant and consultee
4. Am familiar with the major areas of child yes
development:
a. Cognitive
b. Language and literacy
c. Motor
d. Socioemotional
e. Adaptive
5. Am familiar with disabilities and their impact on yes
development
6. Can identify quality indicators in the child care center yes
or home
7. Understand the early childhood and early yes
intervention service system
With regard to systems change, I
8. Strive to understand the philosophical/ theoretical yes
perspective of the early childhood program in which I
am consulting
9. Am able to identify positive and negative effects that yes
might result from efforts to change part of the
program
10. Can implement strategies to empower individuals yes
and systems to change when necessary
11. Am able to modify myths and attitudes that impede yes
successful inclusion of children with disabilities
12. Am able to identify and link resources between early yes
childhood teachers and other agencies
With regard to personal characteristics and skills, I
13. Am respectful, open, and caring in consultation yes
interactions
14. Can establish and maintain a sense of rapport and yes
mutual trust with all persons involved in the
consultation process
15. Maintain an enthusiastic attitude and positive self- yes
concept throughout the consultation process
16. Demonstrate a willingness to learn from others yes
throughout the consultation process
17. Am creative in examining problems and options yes
18. Facilitate the consultation process by demonstrating yes
flexibility
From Buysse, V., & Wesley, P.W. (2005). Consultation in early childhood settings. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. / Klein, S., & 1
Kontos. (1993). Best practices in integration in-service training model: Instructional modules (pp. 35-39). Bloomington, Indiana University;
adapted by permission.
 19. Respect divergent points of view, acknowledging the yes
right to hold different views and act in accordance
with convictions
With regard to communication skills, I
20. Communicate clearly and effectively in oral and yes
written form
21. Use active listening and responding skills such as yes
paraphrasing, clarifying, and summarizing to
facilitate the consultation process
22. Am perceptive in grasping and validating stated and yes
unstated meanings and affect in communication
23. Am able to elicit information from persons involved yes
in the consultation process
24. Enable others to examine their viewpoints of a yes
situation or stated problem and to consider other
possible views or explanations
25. Manage conflict skillfully throughout the consultation yes
process to maintain collaborative relationships
26. Am reinforcing of others involved in the consultation yes
process
With regard to collaborative problem solving, I
27. Identify and clarify problems and needs using a yes
variety of data
28. Pursue collaborative “brainstorming,” withholding yes
premature evaluation of ideas, to generate possible
solutions to problems and means to objectives
29. Integrate feasible goals and objectives into a plan of yes
action that includes consultees as equal partners
30. Elicit information to evaluate the effectiveness of the yes
planned activities and interventions
31. Provide information from my own area of expertise yes
when needed by others without overwhelming or
failing to acknowledge others’ expertise
32. Recognize and respond appropriately to the belief yes
systems of others involved in the consultation
process
With regard to my own development, I
33. Maintain a high standard of ethics related to such yes
issues as confidentiality, personal and professional
boundaries, and consultation efficacy
34. Am able to assess by own effectiveness by using yes
children’s progress, parent and staff feedback, and
self-rating
35. Request and accept constructive feedback and yes
suggestions for improvement
36. Am able to make changes based on this feedback yes
37. Seek professional development through yes
conferences, workshops, meetings, individual study,
and reading

From Buysse, V., & Wesley, P.W. (2005). Consultation in early childhood settings. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. / Klein, S., & 2
Kontos. (1993). Best practices in integration in-service training model: Instructional modules (pp. 35-39). Bloomington, Indiana University;
adapted by permission.