Date of Graduation

Spring 2022

Degree

Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Michael Clayton

Abstract

Well-trained staff are critical for quality care in human service settings, but training requires resources that are often unavailable or restricted. This results in staff with inadequate training and worse outcomes for those in their care. Behavioral Skills Training (BST) is an effective training strategy with empirical support. The current study implemented a pyramidal training procedure with BST to train staff to increase staff use of positive interactions and behavior-specific praise statements when working with children with developmental disabilities in a public-school setting. Instruction, modeling, practice, and feedback were used to teach lead classroom teachers and their paraprofessionals how to interact positively and use behavior-specific praise. Lead teachers were trained by the experimenter to train their paraprofessionals to interact positively and use behavior-specific praise with students in a special education classroom. An AB experimental design was used to assess the effectiveness of the pyramidal training program. Participants increased positive interactions and/or behavior-specific praise statements as a result of the pyramidal training program.

Keywords

staff, training, pyramidal training, peer training, behavioral skills training, developmental disabilities, behavior-specific praise, positive interactions

Subject Categories

Applied Behavior Analysis | Development Studies | Disability Studies | Other Social and Behavioral Sciences | School Psychology

Copyright

© Mallory Eoff

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