Association for Behavior Analysis International

Although staff training is cited as a critical component to the success of ABA interventions for young children with autism, relatively little research has been conducted to evaluate models for training in-home and classroom 1:1 staff to implement ABA teaching techniques with high fidelity. Moreover, limited published resources exist to train Supervisory-level clinical staff to analyze problems related to skill acquisition and determine appropriate and efficient solutions. This symposium will present data evaluating a comprehensive Behavioral Skills Training model to facilitate the acquisition and maintenance of core ABA teaching strategies by staff providing 1:1 ABA intervention in the home setting. The efficacy of the training model to school-based instructional aides and classroom teachers also will be presented. Finally, data will be summarized on the use of a checklist to guide Supervisors of ABA programs in effective troubleshooting of skill acquisition programs. Implications of the training resources to clinical service providers will be discussed.

For children with autism and developmental delays, the model of intensive early intervention treatment and education services that are based on the principles of applied behavior analysis has become the best practice standard. While higher-level behavior analysts are trained and supervised according to the guidelines of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), a training gap often exists between these treatment providers and the instructors that work directly with young children during home-basedapplied bheavior analysis (ABA)intervention. Presuming that a qualified behavior analyst oversees the program, the efficacy of the intervention is still dependent on the home instructor's competence with respect to the execution of these techniques in the absence of continuous, on-site supervision. This presentation will review an intensive instructor training protocol to facilitate the acquisition of the following core ABA intervention skills: errorless teaching, discrete-trial teaching, and natural environment teaching strategies to promote spontaneous manding. Performance-based data were collected on the instructor's skill level before and after the intensive training, and results showed that implementation accuracy increased markedly following exposure to the training protocol.

Research has shown that behavioral skills training packages have been successful in teaching classroom staff to implement research-based applied behavior analysis (ABA) teaching techniques for students with autism spectrum disorders. In the current evaluation, a comprehensive behavioral skills training model was developed to train teachers and instructional assistants within a southern California school district to use errorless teaching, discrete trial teaching, and mand training. Data were collected on the efficacy of the training model in teaching school district staff; more specifically, data indicated that classroom staff demonstrated a high level of implementation fidelity across all three teaching techniques following introduction of the training package, as well as at a 90-day follow-up. The benefits of collaboration between the Non Public Agency (NPA) trainers and school district personnel, along with the resolution of stressors will be discussed.

While training protocols incorporating the critical components of behavioral skills training have been shown to be effective with intervention staff providing direct teaching to young children with autism, few guidelines exist that suggest a specific training regimen for mid-level behavior analysts responsible for the day-to-day development of the program of instruction for a caseload of children. One key area that supervisor-level staff must continually address is what to do when children are not acquiring specified objectives. Providing those staff with a comprehensive, but user-friendly resource or checklist for analyzing and resolving problems related to skill acquisition could be a way to train program supervisors to effectively modify teaching interactions when a child is not acquiring a skill or a teaching step. A description of the checklist and a review of pilot data indicating how such a resource could be used will be reviewed.