Abstract
Behavioral skills training (BST) has been demonstrated to be an effective method for training staff to perform skills with high fidelity in a relatively short amount of time. In the current study, three components of direct instruction (DI) were trained using BST. The participants were two classroom instructors with prior experience implementing DI with students with autism. The targets for staff training were accuracy with signal delivery, error correction, and delivery of praise. A multiple-baseline design across skills was used to evaluate the effects of BST for each participant. Generalization probes were conducted with a student with autism during baseline and after mastery with each skill was demonstrated. BST rapidly increased staff performance across skills, with generalization demonstrated during classroom probes. This study extends the use of BST to training staff to implement DI, and the results suggest that BST resulted in improved teacher performance of the targeted skills during generalization probes with students.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
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This study
• extends the use of BST to the implementation of DI and
• demonstrates a procedure for using role-play scenarios within BST.
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Sherman, J., Richardson, J. & Vedora, J. The Use of Behavioral Skills Training to Teach Components of Direct Instruction. Behav Analysis Practice 14, 1085–1091 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00594-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00594-4