Many programs are designed to provide the paraprofessionals with the necessary training to implement interventions on the population with ASD. However, such training programs’ effects remain questionable due to no follow-up and feedback about the progress. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of workshops and coaching on paraprofessional implementation of function-based interventions.
The indirect and direct functional behavior assessment results guided the development of intervention strategies. They were implemented on three students with autism and intellectual disability. The researchers assessed the students’ appropriate behavior and challenging behavior as the staff’s successful training’s primary indicators. After the intervention, students’ appropriate action increased, and problematic behavior decreased, which are the primary desirable outcomes for the population with ASD. The results suggest a positive impact of of workshops and coaching on paraprofessional implementation of function-based interventions.
The study concluded that, in general, paraprofessionals implemented a strategy with high fidelity levels and judged both the coaching and workshop training procedures and student intervention strategies as socially valid. Implications for practice, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed. Certain factors might influence the effectiveness of training programs that need to be assessed.
Reference: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1088357616673561
