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Assessing the Effects of a Staff Training Package on the Treatment Integrity of an Intervention for Self-Injurious Behavior

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Abstract

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is an aberrant behavior that frequently occurs among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. SIB may negatively affect both consumers and staff members. Staff members may not be adequately trained on how to use procedures to effectively reduce SIB or they may use those procedures inconsistently. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a staff-training package (i.e., role-playing, in vivo training, feedback paired with contingent money, and an escape contingency) in teaching three staff members (one paraprofessional and two direct care staff members) how to implement intervention plans, with high levels of integrity, developed to reduce SIB. Staff members’ fidelity to the intervention plan was monitored in person and remotely. When the researchers were physically present in the environment, all staff members accurately implemented the intervention plan in role-play situations and with the actual consumers (in vivo training) when they received feedback and money based on their fidelity to the intervention plan. Additionally, in the researchers’ absence, staff members only implemented the intervention plan with high levels of integrity when they received feedback and money based on their fidelity to the intervention plan. The results of this study support the need for ongoing feedback (and perhaps money) to promote high levels of fidelity to intervention plans when used by staff members in the absence of an observer (or researcher).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Child Health and Development, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA

    Andrea Courtemanche

  2. Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66049, USA

    Jan Sheldon & James Sherman

  3. Life Span Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66049, USA

    Stephen Schroeder

  4. Heatspring, Wichita, KS, USA

    Allyson Bell

  5. School of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA

    Ryan House

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  1. Andrea Courtemanche
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  2. Jan Sheldon
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Correspondence to Andrea Courtemanche.

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Courtemanche, A., Sheldon, J., Sherman, J. et al. Assessing the Effects of a Staff Training Package on the Treatment Integrity of an Intervention for Self-Injurious Behavior. J Dev Phys Disabil 26, 371–389 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-014-9372-6

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