Effect of conducting behavioral observations and ratings on staff implementation of a paired‐stimulus preference assessment

Putting the power of behavior analysis in the hands of nonbehavioral professionals: Toward a blueprint for dissemination†

Behavior analysts have much to offer nonbehavioral professionals who work with the communities that we serve. Successful dissemination of behavior-analytic technologies to these professionals could potentially improve their practice. Although the literature contains some exemplary examples of successful dissemination, our discipline would benefit from a blueprint for conducting this important work. In this article, I share our experiences disseminating behavioral technologies to educators, law enforcement officers, and health care providers who engage with neurodiverse individuals. These experiences form the basis of a recommended blueprint for dissemination, which awaits empirical support. After describing this tentative blueprint, I provide suggestions for future research on how best to disseminate our technologies to nonbehavioral professionals, the ideal content of those dissemination activities, and the conditions under which professionals may be more likely to embed our technologies into their best practices.

Using Computer-Based Instruction to Teach Implementation of Discrete Trial Instruction: A Replication and Extension

Evidence-based procedures, such as computer-based instruction, have been used to train staff to implement behavioral technologies with high treatment integrity. The purpose of the present study was to address the gaps in Romer et al. (2021) by assessing the same computer-based instruction module to train relevant staff to implement discrete trial instruction. Results suggest computer-based instruction is effective, efficient, and a socially valid procedure to use to teach relevant staff to implement discrete trial instruction.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40617-022-00731-7.

Using computer-based instruction to teach implementation of behavioral skills training

Behavioral skills training (BST) is considered one of the most effective staff training techniques to implement a wide variety of behavioral technologies; however, research has found a lack of implementation of BST across human service settings due to a shortage of organizational time and resources. The purpose of the present study was first to demonstrate the effectiveness of computer-based instruction (CBI) in teaching BST, and then to demonstrate that the CBI module was effective in training trainers to implement BST with trainees. Results of the present experiment not only demonstrate the effectiveness of CBI in teaching BST, but also demonstrate the generality of the BST to teach behavior therapists.

The influence of observations and ratings on implementation of discrete trial instruction

Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder are often taught using discrete trial instruction. Because of low trainer-to-staff ratios commonly found in human service settings, research is needed to find an efficient method to train staff to implement discrete trial instruction with little to no in-vivo training by a qualified trainer. One such technique is observing and rating the behavior of another individual. The resulting improvement in the observer's own behavior is referred to as the observer effect. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of conducting behavioral observations and ratings on staff implementation of discrete trial instruction. Staff trainees viewed videos of the implementation of each step, rated the accuracy of implementation, and conducted the procedure with a confederate consumer. The procedure was effective, and the effects extended to novel skills.

Training Preservice School Psychologists to Conduct a Stimulus Preference Assessment

There is limited research evaluating behavioral skills training (BST) in university classrooms to teach stimulus preference assessments. We evaluated the effects of BST on three preservice school psychologists' performance with the multiple-stimulus without-replacement preference assessment. A single BST session improved performance across participants, and improvements were maintained 1 week after BST. Limitations, directions for future research, and suggestions for maximizing the efficiency of BST in university classrooms are discussed.

Self-guided behavioral skills training: A public health approach to promoting nurturing care environments

The World Health Organization identified the promotion of "Nurturing Care Environments" as a global health priority. Responsive caregiving, 1 of 5 domains describing nurturing care, is critical for healthy child development. Relatively little research has evaluated population-level interventions aimed to increase responsive caregiving during the first 1,000 days of an infant's life. In this pilot study, we evaluated an intervention designed for population-level dissemination that targeted responsive caregiving. The self-guided behavioral skills training aimed to teach mothers to imitate infant vocalizations. The intervention was delivered within an on-line asynchronous training. All 3 mothers increased vocal imitative behavior following training without receiving coaching or behavior-specific feedback from an implementer. The results offer a preliminary proof of concept with implications for population-level intervention design and evaluation.

Safe to sleep: Community-based caregiver training

Annually, thousands of infant deaths are classified as sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUIDs). In an effort to reduce the risk of SUIDs, the American Academy of Pediatrics has made a number of recommendations to educate caregivers, childcare providers, and healthcare professionals on safe infant sleep practices. The purpose of the current study was to extend the literature on safe infant sleep practices by teaching caregivers to arrange safe infant sleep environments using a mannequin and common infant items. We partnered with community-based agencies to evaluate the effectiveness of behavioral skills training delivered in a single training session as part of the ongoing pre- or postnatal care these agencies provided. Following training, all participants demonstrated a substantial change in responding and returned favorable social validity ratings. We discuss these outcomes in light of previous studies, limitations, and future directions.