Behavioral Skills Training Research Articles

행동적 기술 훈련이 발달장애 성인의 대화 기술에 미치는 효과*

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of behavioral skills training on conversational skills in adults with developmental disabilities. Two adults with developmental disabilities who had difficulties interacting with others due to a lack of appropriate conversational skills participated in the study along with one of their colleagues with appropriate conversational skills, who participated as a norm. Behavioral skills training was implemented to improve the conversation skills in the participants, and the effects of the intervention were evaluated using a multiple baseline across participants design. The experiment consisted of baseline, intervention, maintenance, and generalization during each experimental condition. The results indicated that the conversational skills of the participants were improved with the behavioral skills training, and the acquired conversational skills were maintained even after the intervention was removed. In addition, the generalization effect was observed when talking to other who did not participate in the intervention. The social validity evaluation by the participants, their parents, and their supervisor showed very positive results, and two participants indicated a similar or higher level of conversational skills than their colleague, which was the norm.

Clinical effectiveness of the NIDUS randomised control trial of a tailored, goal‐focused intervention for increasing goal attainment in people living with dementia and their family carers

AbstractBackgroundMost people living with dementia want to remain living in their own homes and are supported to do so by family carers. We have co‐produced, with family carers of people with dementia and health and social care professionals, a psychosocial intervention (NIDUS‐family). NIDUS‐family is the first fully manualised intervention that is tailored to personal goals of people living with dementia and their families and is delivered by facilitators without clinical training. The intervention utilizes components of behavioural management, carer support, psychoeducation, communication and coping skills training, enablement, and environmental adaptations, with modules selected to address dyads’ selected goals.MethodA randomised, two‐arm, single‐blind, multi‐site clinical trial involving 302 people living with dementia‐family carer dyads. Dyads were randomised 2:1 to receive the NIDUS‐family intervention with usual care (n = 204) or usual care alone (n = 98). The intervention group received over 1 year, 6‐8 video call or telephone sessions (or face to face if COVID‐19 restrictions allowed) in the initial 6 months, followed by telephone follow‐ups every 1‐2 months to support implementation, with a trained facilitator. We will evaluate the effect of NIDUS‐family and usual care on attainment on goals set by family carers towards the care recipient living as well as possible at home, as measured by Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS), compared to usual care alone at 12‐month follow‐up. Secondary outcomes measures include functioning, neuropsychiatric symptoms of care recipients, time remaining living at home and care costs, and family carer mood, quality of life and reported abusive behaviours.ResultThe trial recruited to target, with good adherence to the intervention (85% fully adherent) and trial retention to date (87% at 6‐month follow‐up). The trial’s 12 month follow up data will be completed in early May 2023 and results will be analysed and ready to share by July 2023.ConclusionOur intervention, which we adapted to include remote delivery prior to commencement due to the COVID‐19 pandemic, aims to address barriers to living as well and as independently as possible. If effective, NIDUS‐family is potentially scalable to benefit many people living with dementia and their family carers.

Behavioral Skills Training to Teach Self-Instruction of Video Activity Schedules for Vocational Skills

This study evaluated the effects of behavior skills training (BST) as a means to acquire and generalize self-instruction behaviors using video activity schedules (VidAS) loaded on an iPod Touch for four high school students with intellectual disabilities. Behavior skills training procedures were implemented in two different vocational training environments and evaluated using a multiple probe across participants design. Following the mastery criterion in the training environments, the generalization of self-instruction behaviors to two different vocational training environments was assessed. All participants acquired self-instruction behaviors with BST instruction. However, only three of four participants independently generalized responding to two additional vocational environments. Results and directions for future research regarding training loosely and using multiple exemplars to program for generalization are discussed.

The generalized impacts of systematic instruction strategy training on the instructional staff of a vocational training center

BACKGROUND: Vocational training centers improve outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), but employment rates remain low. Additionally, vocational direct support professionals (DSPs) often lack the training to implement effective instruction and the administrative procedures needed for change. OBJECTIVE: This study examines the effect of behavioral skills training (BST) on the maintained procedural fidelity of evidence-based practice (EBP) instruction in direct support providers with clients who have moderate to extensive support needs (M-ESN). METHOD: Three instructor-identified EBPs for teaching individuals with IDD were selected for professional development (PD): most-to-least prompting, time delay procedures, and system of least prompts. Three single case multiple probe across behaviors experiments evaluated the efficacy of the researcher-delivered BST instruction model on trainee accuracy as assessed by trained center administrators. RESULTS: A functional relation between the BST instruction and generalized DSP implementation was indicated, despite challenges and limitations related to COVID-19. Social validity measures found the goals, procedures, and outcomes were socially significant, and the intervention was practical and effective. CONCLUSION: Practices in vocational training should reflect the high standards for systematic instruction in the K-12 setting. EPB BST training with administration progress monitoring can improve DSPs’ instruction with clients, thus improving learning outcomes for adults with M-ESN.

Assessing and teaching job-related social skills to adults with neurodevelopmental disorders in Italy

Social challenges in the work place can serve as an obstacle to regular employment for many individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD). Nonetheless, few studies have focused on interventions to improve job-related social skills or included residents of countries outside of the United States. This study replicated and extended prior research by evaluating the acquisition of job-related social skills with three individuals with NDD residing in Italy. Results suggested that a package consisting of behavioral skills training and token reinforcement was effective for teaching the skills in the clinic and in extension to real work contexts. Furthermore, social validity surveys indicated that the participants, professionals, and caregivers of individuals with NDD considered the skills and interventions to be acceptable. These findings have implications for improving employment outcomes for individuals with NDD across the globe.

The efficacy of remote video-based behavioral skills training and awareness training on public speaking performance.

This study evaluated the efficacy of (a) remote video-based behavioral skills training (BST) with added speech outlines on teaching public speaking behaviors and (b) remote video-based awareness training (AT) on speech-disfluency rates. A multiple-baseline design across speech behaviors was used to evaluate the training. Remote video-based BST and AT were effective at teaching public speaking behaviors and reducing speech disfluencies, respectively, for both participants. In addition, performance generalized to increased audience size. Although expert ratings of perceived public speaking effectiveness improved following BST, the ratings did not improve and some worsened following AT. Both participants reported satisfaction with video-based BST and AT. One participant reported greater comfort, confidence, overall ability, and less anxiety as a public speaker following BST. Both participants reported greater improvements in those categories following AT. Our results suggest that public speaking behaviors can be taught using remote video-based BST and speech disfluencies can be reduced using remote video-based AT.

Combined multi-session transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) and language skills training improves individual gamma band activity and literacy skills in developmental dyslexia

Developmental dyslexia is characterized by the pathologically diminished ability to acquire reading and spelling skills. Accurate processing of acoustic information at the phonemic scale is crucial for successful sound-to-letter-mapping which, in turn, is elemental in reading and spelling. Altered activation patterns in the auditory cortex are thought to provide the neurophysiological basis for the inaccurate phonemic perception. Recently, transcranial electrical stimulation has been shown to be an effective method to ameliorate cortical activation patterns in the auditory cortex. In a sample of children and adolescents with dyslexia, we investigated the effect of multi-session transcranial alternating current stimulation delivered concurrently with a phonological training and in combination with a behavioral literacy skills training. Over a 5-week period the participants received 10 training sessions while gamma-tACS was administered over bilateral auditory cortex. We found that gamma-tACS shifted the peak frequency of auditory gamma oscillations reflecting a more fine-grained processing of time-critical acoustic information. This amelioration was accompanied by increased phonemic processing skills. Moreover, individuals who received gamma-tACS showed significant improvements in their spelling skills four months after the intervention. Our results demonstrate that multi-session gamma-tACS enhances the effects of a behavioral intervention and induces long-term improvement on literacy skills in dyslexia.

Intervention effect of interactive games and behavioral skill training on preschool autistic children

BackgroundPreschool autistic children represent an important part of preschool education, so we need to create a good material and psychological environment for them. In the preschool education environment, special attention has been focused on the physical and mental health, interests, hobbies, and interpersonal skills training of children with autism. Research has adopted interactive games and behavioral skills training to assist in treating autistic children in preschool education.Subjects and MethodsFirstly, 8 children diagnosed with autism were selected from a certain kindergarten. These children were evenly distributed across two regular classrooms, with 4 students in each class, and interacted with ordinary children. Next, they were divided into a control group and an experimental group, both of which were ordinary children aged 5-6 years old. Intervention training was conducted to compare the scores of children with autism in various dimensions. Finally, SPSS23.0 was used for data analysis and t-test.ResultsThe evaluation of recognition and understanding of children with autism in the control group before and after intervention was t =-0.41, P>0.05, and t =-0.44, P>0.05, respectively, with no statistical significance. The evaluation of the experimental group before and after intervention were t=15.41, P<0.05, and t=69.41, P<0.001, respectively, with statistical significance. Prove the feasibility of intervention training effectiveness.ConclusionsInteractive training interventions for preschool children with autism are of great help to their physical and mental health and provide strategic solutions for interactive training and skill training for preschool children to promote harmonious coexistence with ordinary children.

Training individuals to implement discrete-trial teaching procedures using behavioral skills training: A scoping review with implications for practice and research.

Behavioral skills training (BST) is an evidence-based approach for training individuals to implement discrete-trial teaching procedures. Despite the effectiveness of this approach, implementing BST can be time and resource intensive, which may interfere with a clinical organization's adoption of this training format. We conducted a scoping review of studies using BST components for training discrete-trial teaching procedures in peer-reviewed articles between 1977 and 2021. We identified 51 studies in 46 publications involving 354 participants. We coded descriptive data on (a) participant characteristics, (b) study characteristics, (c) training conditions (including instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback), and (d) training outcomes. The results indicated that studies have primarily attempted to improve the efficacy and efficiency of BST by modifying or omitting common training components. We provide best-practice considerations for using BST to teach discrete-trial teaching procedures and offer a research agenda to guide future investigation in this area.

Evaluation of a rapport‐building intervention for early interventionists working with children on the autism spectrum

AbstractRapport, or the therapeutic relationship between a therapist and client, is essential for successful intervention. In behavior analytic interventions for autistic children, practitioners commonly use pairing to establish rapport. A limited body of research has evaluated how to train interventionists to pair with their child clients. Furthermore, fewer studies have examined the effects of pairing on client behavior. Therefore, we implemented behavioral skills training to teach interventionists pairing skills and assessed the effects of presession pairing on child interfering behavior using a concurrent multiple probe design (with replication). We implemented a pairing protocol before early intensive behavioral intervention sessions with four children (3–5 years old) on the autism spectrum. Interventionists mastered pairing skills during training sessions, which were generally maintained when working with child clients. When interventionists implemented presession pairing, child participants demonstrated fewer interfering behaviors. We discuss implications of our preliminary findings and future directions.

A Virtual Reality–Based Serious Game for Fire Safety Behavioral Skills Training

Fire disasters in tall buildings can cause considerable damage to property, injuries to people and death. An effective way to reduce injuries or death during a fire is to improve human evacuation behavior. Many studies have demonstrated that behavioral skills training can effectively help people of different ages to acquire safety skills for emergencies. Based on virtual reality (VR), serious games (SGs) and behavioral skills training (BST), this study proposes a theoretical model of “VR-SG-BST” as a fire safety training method. Older adults in care facilities were selected to evaluate the proposed model because their lack of knowledge on fire safety and the associated potential health problems increase the likelihood that they will become victims of a fire. It is expected that engagement and immersion in the SG can improve the elderly’s learning performance of fire evacuation skills and enhance their interest and sense of fun experienced during fire safety training. The SG could effectively improve the skills of evacuation in an emergency. Hence, this study involved two parallel investigations: 1) comparing fire safety behavior of the elderly between an experimental and a control group, and 2) determining the effects of BST for fire safety by comparing only the experimental group in pre- and post-BST phases. The study adopts in situ training (IST) to evaluate the acquisition of knowledge and skills during the experimental stage. It is concluded that the proposed VR-SG-BST model has potential to serve as an alternate approach to improve the elderly’s behavioral skills during a fire. Moreover, previous computer game experience enhances the elderly’s learning performance and fire safety behavior. The outcomes of the study provide suggestions and guidelines for VR-SG design in the practice of BST.

Large‐scale evaluation of staff training in programs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities

AbstractBehavioral skills training and on‐the‐job feedback are effective in changing staff behavior as evidenced by years of staff‐training research. However, community programs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often do not utilize these best‐practice training methods. The purpose of the current study was to train four empirically derived practices to staff who work with adults with IDD. We trained the staff to provide positive interactions, provide effective instructions, provide correct responses to problem behavior, and promote consumer engagement with items and activities. We used behavioral skills training and on‐the‐job feedback to increase staff implementation of these practices on a large scale in a community‐based organization despite some barriers such as high staff turnover rates. Overall, results showed that our training procedure was effective in increasing staff implementation of the four practices in many homes and programs.

The Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Training: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT Researchers have conducted studies on integrating autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) in Virtual Reality Training (VRT); however, little is known about the effectiveness of these trainings and the skills typically taught. Out of the 2,017 related articles found, there were 20 articles that met our inclusionary criteria. We analyzed the 20 articles along the dimensions of participant demographics (e.g. age, disability, ethnicity); skills taught; measurement methods; components of VRTs (e.g. feedback, communication medium, degree of immersion); effectiveness; and social validity. We also checked the 11 VRTs mentioned in the present review for components of behavior skills training (BST). Our results showed that VRT is effective in teaching social, safety, and professional skills (e.g. initiation of play, emergency bystander intervention, job interview) to 1,144 participants, including children with disabilities and adults with and without disabilities. Across the reviewed articles, authors probed for skill generalization and found that the targeted skills generalized across setting or time in 15 out of 20 (75%) articles. Our results indicate that VRT is a flexible and viable option for scaling BSTs, although additional research is needed for cost-benefit analysis. Lastly, we discussed ways for behavior analysts to leverage VRTs with autonomous AI and recommendations for future research.

Behavioral Skills Training to Teach Identification of Choking Hazards to Substitute Caregivers

Choking is a leading cause of mortality in children. Over half of choking injuries occur due to food, and the remaining injuries involve common household objects. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate Behavioral Skills Training (BST) to teach choking hazard identification and correction to substitute caregivers. Method: This study evaluated the efficacy of using BST to teach nonedible choking hazard identification (Phase 1) and edible choking hazard identification and correction (Phase 2) to substitute caregivers following guidelines from the Home Accident Prevention Inventory-Revised Protocol. Results: The results found that all participants significantly improved their hazard identification and correction following BST in both phases. Generalization probes were high in baseline for all participants across phases; however, all participants scored 100% correct on the final generalization probes. Discussion: Implications for practice and future research considerations for choking prevention training are discussed.

Effects of a Teacher-Implemented Social Skills Intervention for Elementary Students with Autism and Developmental Disabilities

ABSTRACT Social deficits are often a core area of development for students in special education, thus schools are charged with providing social skills interventions. Although many strategies are available, few schools successfully employ evidence-based interventions for students with autism and related disabilities. A way to address these concerns while simultaneously supporting teachers is the enactment of consultative services. Behavioral skills training (BST) is an empirically validated type of direct training used to teach new skills that can be used within the consultation process. The purpose of the current study was to expand the literature by using BST to train a special education teacher to implement Superheroes Social Skills for students with autism and developmental disabilities. Dependent variables included skill acquisition in the training setting, skill acquisition in the generalized setting, and teacher treatment integrity of the social skills intervention. A multiple probe design across target skills with concurrent replication across participants was utilized to evaluate the effects of a teacher implemented Superheroes Social Skills. Results demonstrated immediate increases for all skills across participants in the training context, with increases in generalized skill acquisition for four of the five participants. Teacher integrity remained above 83% across intervention sessions. Implications for practitioners related to implementation of evidence-based social skills interventions and future research are discussed.

Teaching clinicians and nurses to prepare for and present at interdisciplinary meetings through behavioral skills training.

Behavior analysts frequently collaborate with interdisciplinary colleagues to share information and make decisions about client services. This study evaluated the effects of behavioral skills training on preparation for and presentation during interdisciplinary review team meetings by clinicians (n = 4) and nurses (n = 4) at a residential school for students with intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities. The primary dependent measure was the percentage of preparation and presentation steps from task-analyzed behavior checklists that the participants implemented correctly. As evaluated by multiple-baseline designs, the participants improved their preparation and presentation skills to nearly 100% following behavioral skills training, maintained performance 1 month after the study, and rated training positively. We discuss elements of the training program, practice implications, and research directions.

Behavioral Skill Training sebagai Solusi dari Adiksi Gadget pada Anak

Gadget addiction causes children to be less physically active and less skilled in interacting socially. To overcome the impact of this training, this research provides a solution in the form of a behavioral skill technique in the psychology of behaviorism called Behavioral Skill Training (BST). This study uses the method of literature study. The findings in this paper show that BST is effective in dealing with gadget addiction in children based on techniques in BST which include Instruction, Modeling, Rehearsal, and Feedback steps. The BST program can help develop social, emotional, interpersonal, and problem solving skills in children so that they can reduce the level of gadget addiction and improve the quality of life for children as a whole. Support from parents and schools, as well as regular and systematic evaluations need to be considered in the implementation of the BST program.

Evaluating Remote Behavioral Skills Training of Online Gaming Safety Skills.

This study assessed the use of behavioral skills training for teaching online safety skills to two children, 7 and 9 years old. In situ assessments took place while playing the popular online game, Among Us, and consisted of confederates presenting lures to the child participants. Before training, the participants scored 1s and 0s, indicating a lack of online gaming safety skills. Both participants scored at mastery criterion (i.e., three scores of 3 in a row) following training. During the first 2-week follow-up, one participant scored a 1 because he did not leave the game following the presentation of a lure; his mother immediately implemented in situ training (IST). He scored at mastery criterion during the next follow-up assessment, indicating the effectiveness of the caregiver-implemented IST. The second participant scored a 3 during his 2-week follow-up.

Innovation: Behavioral Health Skills Training for Families of Space Travelers

With the evolution of space travel to more frequently include civilian space travelers, there is an emerging need for behavioral health skills training for longer missions. There may be utility in using the analog of military deployments. One such model is Families OverComing Under Stress (FOCUS), a family-centered evidence-based resilience training program that has been implemented at military installations for the last fifteen years. FOCUS is designed to enhance family cohesion and strengthen parent–child, marital, and co-parenting relationships and improve emotion regulation, communication, problem-solving, and goal-setting skills across the family. Research results reveal that both parents and children from military families participating in FOCUS demonstrate significant improvement in emotional and behavioral adjustment, reducing their risk of developing anxiety, depression, or other behavioral disturbances by half. It has also demonstrated efficacy in the tele-delivery model, allowing for implementation for families who are separated due to trainings and missions.

Assessing the Effects of Practitioner-Created and Implemented Video-Based Intervention to Teach Vocational Skills to Autistic Young Adults

This study evaluated the impact of training two practitioners to create and implement video-based intervention (VBI) to teach vocational skills to three autistic young adults in authentic workplace settings, via a multiple-probe single-case research design. A behavioral skills training (BST) package was used to train the practitioners to create and implement VBI. Practitioners’ fidelity of VBI creation and implementation was also evaluated via pretest-posttest. There was a functional relation between the practitioner-created and -implemented VBI and the autistic young adults’ vocational skill acquisition, with all three reaching 100% independent accuracy and demonstrating maintenance of the learned vocational skills. The practitioners also showed large increases in their fidelity of VBI creation and implementation from pretest to posttest, although their VBI creation performance decreased slightly at follow-up. All participants reported positive experiences with the VBI and rated it as socially valid.