Which of the following is a function of elementary school counselors in the ASCA model?

• A. Provide early education, prevention, and intervention services
• B. Help students establish identity and explore interests
• C. Provide counseling for career planning in high school
• D. Help with transition from childhood to adolescence

Answer: (A)

In the ASCA model, elementary school counselors focus on prevention and early intervention to support all students’ academic, social, and emotional development. Providing early education, prevention, and intervention services fits this role because it involves delivering classroom guidance on essential skills, implementing schoolwide and targeted prevention programs, and coordinating supports for students at risk before issues become larger problems. This proactive, universal approach helps create a safe, supportive learning environment and lays the foundation for students’ ongoing success. The other options point to tasks more typical of later grade levels or broader transitions: establishing identity and exploring interests, career planning, and the transition from childhood to adolescence are more developmentally aligned with middle or high school and transitional periods into adolescence.