Special Educators as Coaches to Support Paraprofessional Implementation of Functional Communication Training

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of special educators’ delivery of training that included an initial training session and follow-up coaching on paraprofessional implementation of an evidence-based practice for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Three special educators...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of positive behavior interventions 2021-07, Vol.23 (3), p.174-184
Main Authors: Walker, Virginia L., Carpenter, Megan E., Clausen, Amy, Ealer, Katherine, Lyon, Kristin J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Autism
Behavior disorders
Behavior Modification
Coaching (Performance)
Communication Skills
Evidence Based Practice
Functional Behavioral Assessment
Interpersonal Communication
Paraprofessional School Personnel
Paraprofessionals
Pervasive Developmental Disorders
Program Effectiveness
Reinforcement
Special Education Teachers
Students with Disabilities
Teacher Role
Training
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of special educators’ delivery of training that included an initial training session and follow-up coaching on paraprofessional implementation of an evidence-based practice for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Three special educators each trained a paraprofessional in their classroom to implement functional communication training (FCT) to address the challenging behavior of a student with ASD. The training procedures incorporated the following aspects of behavioral skills training: instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. Training from special educators resulted in high levels of paraprofessional FCT implementation that maintained over time for two paraprofessionals. Special educators and paraprofessionals found the training to be practical and effective. We present implications for practice and future research directions for paraprofessional training models focused on challenging behavior interventions.
ISSN:1098-3007
1538-4772
DOI:10.1177/1098300720957995