Exploring an Interprofessional Staff-Training Model: Application for Teachers and Therapists Working with Children Diagnosed with Autism

Authors

  • Lina Slim Founding Executive Director of Educational and Behavioral Services, ASAP – A Step Ahead Program, LLC, 33 Joss Way, Millington, New Jersey 07946, USA
  • Genevieve Pinto Zipp Professor, Department of Interprofessional Health Sciences and Health Administration, Seton Hall University, School of Health and Medical Sciences, 400 South Orange Ave, South Orange New Jersey 07079, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6000/2292-2598.2016.04.01.1

Keywords:

Training, mentoring, Autism Spectrum Disorders, teacher training, video self?monitoring

Abstract

Increased prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has generated higher special needs enrollment in schools requiring teachers and therapists to acquire, incorporate and implement specialized strategies needed to address unique educational and behavioral challenges facing children diagnosed with ASD. Budget cuts have generated a shortage of qualified professionals with expertise in autism interventions. Currently, staff training is minimal, ineffective or lacking on how to do acquire these skills. More effective staff training may provide an avenue for addressing this shortage. This study investigates the impact that an Interprofessional Staff Training Procedure (STP), consisting of Video Self‐Monitoring (VSM), Performance Feedback (PF) and Reflection (R) with and without Mentoring has on sustained and generalized teacher performance on two Dependent Variables – application of the Learn Unit (LU) and Rate of Effective Instruction (ROI). An exploratory study was conducted with 10 female teachers instructing 3‐5 year old autistic children in two private schools utilizing principles of Applied Behavior Analysis. Teacher performance on LU and ROI was evaluated after: Phase 1 – 2‐hour workshop; Phase 2 – training period using STP with and without Mentoring and Phase 3 – follow‐up period when STP and Mentoring are removed. While the STP appeared to enhance teacher performance and sustainability of procedural integrity, the greatest and most consistent improvement in performance was observed among teachers who received STP plus Mentoring as opposed to STP alone. Findings revealed that adding Mentoring to an existing STP appears to enhance teacher performance and Procedural Integrity with sustainable outcome.

References

American Academy of Pediatrics. Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs): An Introduction. Elk Grove Village, IL: AAP; 2006, updated 2010.

Croen, LA, Najjar, DV, Ray, T, Lotspeich, L, Bernal, P. A comparison of health care utilization and costs of children with and without autism spectrum disorders in a large group-model health plan. Pediatr 2006; 118: 1203-1211. http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2006-0127

Baio, J. Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network Surveillance Year 2010 Principal Investigators. Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2010. Surveill Summ 2014; 63(2): 1-21.

Kates-McElrath, K, Axelrod, S. Functional assessment in public schools: A tool for classroom teachers. In: Luce SC, Mandell DS, Mazefsky C, Seibert W, Eds. Autism in Pennsylvania, What lies ahead? Harrisburg: Pennsylvania 2008; p. 83-96.

Institute of Medicine Global Forum on Health Professions Education, Interprofessional Education for Collaborative Workshop Summary, May 2013

Greer, RD, Yaun, L, Gautreaux, G. Effects of multiple exemplar instruction on transformation of stimulus function across written and vocal spelling responses by students with autism. Anal Verbal Behav 2005; 21: 99-116.

Love JR, Carr JE, Almason SM, Petursdottir AI. Early and intensive behavioral intervention for autism: a survey of clinical practices. Res Autism Spectr Disord 2009; 21: 421-428. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2008.08.008

Reid, DH, Parsons, MB, Lattimore, LP, Towery, DL, Reade, KK. Improving staff performance through clinician application of outcome management. Res Dev Disabil 2005; 26: 101-116. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2004.05.002

Leblanc, LA, Gravina, N, Carr, JE (2009). Training issues unique to Autism Spectrum Disorders. In: Maston, JL, editor. Applied Behavior Analysis for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Alabama: Springer Science and Business Media 2009; p. 225-235. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0088-3_13

Cooper, JO, Heron, TE, Heward, WL. Applied Behavior Analysis. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Pearson; 2007.

Gresham, FM. Assessment of treatment integrity in school consultation and prereferral intervention. School Psych Rev 1989; 18:37-50.

Hagermoser Sanetti, LM, Kratochwill, TR. Toward developing a science of treatment integrity: Introduction to special series. School Psych Rev 2009; 38(4): 445-459.

Ahearn, W. Effect of video self-monitoring on procedural integrity. Behav Interv 2010; 25(4): 261-274. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bin.316

Pelletier, K, McNamara, B, Braga-Kenyon, P, Ahearn, WH. Effect of video self-monitoring on procedural integrity. Behav Interv 2010; 25(4): 261-274. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bin.316

Krause, UM, Stark, R. Reflection in example- and problem-based learning: Effects of reflection prompts, feedback and cooperative learning. Eval Res Educ 2010; 23(4): 255-272. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09500790.2010.519024

Kitsantas, A, Zimmerman, BJ. Enhancing self-regulation of practice: The influence of graphing and self-evaluative standards. Metacogn Learn 2006; 1: 201-212. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11409-006-9000-7

Reid, DH, Parsons, MB. Motivating Human Service Staff: Supervisory Strategies for Maximizing Work Effort and Work Enjoyment. 2nd ed. Morganton: North Carolina 2006.

Codding, RS, Feinberg, AB, Dunn, EK, Pace, GM. Effects of immediate feedback on implementation of behavioral support plans. J Appl Behav Anal 2005; 38: 205-219. http://dx.doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2005.98-04

Codding, RS, Livanis, A, Pace, GM, Vaca, L (2008). Using performance feedback to improve integrity of classwide behaviors plans: An investigation of observer reactivity, J of Appl Behav Anal 2008; 41: 417-422. http://dx.doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2008.41-417

Noell, GH, Witt, C, Slider, JS, Connell, JE, Gatti, SL, Williams, KL, Koenig, JL, Resetar, JL. Treatment implementation following behavioral consultation in schools: A comparison of three follow-up strategies. School Psych Rev 2005; 34(1): 87-106.

Wilkinson, LA. Assessing treatment integrity in behavioral consultation. Int J Behav Consult Ther 2007; 3: 420-432. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0100816

Dewey, J. How We Think: A Restatement of Reflective Thinking to The Educative Process. Boston: MA, Health; 1933.

Gartmeier, M, Kipfmueller, S, Heid, H, Gruber. Reflection and professional competence. A study at dynamic workplaces in the nursing sector. Res Rep 2008 No. 35. University of Regensburg, Institute of Education, Dept. Prof. Dr. Hans Gruber. In: Billett S, Harteis C, Eteläpelto A. Emerging perspectives on learning through work. London: Sage 2008; p. 131-147.

Hetzner, S, Gartmeier, M, Heid, H, Gruber, H. Error Orientation and Reflection at Work. Vocation and Learning 2010; 4: 25-39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12186-010-9047-0

Janssen, F, de Hullu, E, Tigelaar, D. Positive experiences as input for reflection by student teachers. Teach Teach: Theory Prac 2008; 14(2): 115-127. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13540600801965903

Pedro, JY. Reflection in teacher education: Exploring pre-service teachers’ meanings of reflective practice. Reflect Prac 2005; 6(1): 49-66. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1462394042000326860

Stoddard, SS. Reflective thinking within an art methods class for preservice elementary teachers. Hawaii International Conference on Education 2002.

Greer, RD. Designing Teaching Strategies. An applied Behavior Analytic Systems Approach. Academic Press Educational Psychology Series. San Diego: CA; 2002.

Greer, RD, Ross, ER. Verbal Behavior Analysis: Inducing and expanding New Capabilities in Children with Language Delays. Pearson Education, Inc. Boston: MA; 2008.

Ross, DE, Wilson, CL, Goodman, J, Greer, RD. Using the learn unit as a measure of cost-effectiveness for professional development. J Educ Finance 2007.

Greenwood, CR, Horton, BT, Utley, CA. Academic engagement: Current perspectives in research and practice. School Psych Rev 2002; 31(3): 328-349.

Petscher, ES, Bailey, JS. Effects of training, prompting, and self-monitoring on staff behavior in a classroom for students with disabilities. J Appl Behav Anal 2006; 39: 215-226. http://dx.doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2006.02-05

Ross, DE, Singer-Dubek, J, Greer, RD. The Teacher Performance Rate and accuracy Scale (TPRA): Training as Evaluation. Educ Train Dev Disabil 2005; 40(4): 411-423.

Leblanc, M, Ricciardi, JN, Luiselli, JK. Improving discrete trial instruction by paraprofessional staff through an abbreviated performance feedback intervention. Educ Treat Children 2005; 28: 76-82.

Plavnick, JB, Ferreri, SJ, Maupin, AN. The effects of self-monitoring on the procedural integrity of a behavioral intervention for young children with developmental disabilities. J Appl Behav Anal 2010; 43(2): 315-320. http://dx.doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2010.43-315

Catania, CN, Almeida, D, Liu-Constant, B, DiGennaro-Reed, FD. Video modeling to train staff to implement discrete-trial instruction. J Appl Behav Anal 2009; 42: 387-392. http://dx.doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2009.42-387

DiGennaro-Reed, FD, Codding, R, Catania, CN, Mahire, H. The effects of video modeling on treatment integrity of behavioral interventions. J Appl Behav Anal 2010; 43: 291-295. http://dx.doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2010.43-291

DiGennaro, F.D, Martens, BK, Kleinman, AE. A comparison of Performance feedback procedures on teachers’ treatment implementation integrity and students’ inappropriate behavior in special education classrooms. J Appl Behav Anal 2007; 40: 447-461. http://dx.doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2007.40-447

Kate, E, Fiske, KE. Treatment integrity of school-based behavior analytic interventions: A review of the research. Behav Anal Pract 2008; 1(2): 19-25.

Lerman, DC, Tetrault, A, Hovanetz, A, Strobel, M, Garro, J. Further evaluation of a brief, intensive teacher-training model. J Appl Behav Anal 2008; 4(2): 243-248. http://dx.doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2008.41-243

Downloads

Published

2016-01-11

How to Cite

Slim, L., & Zipp, G. P. (2016). Exploring an Interprofessional Staff-Training Model: Application for Teachers and Therapists Working with Children Diagnosed with Autism. Journal of Intellectual Disability - Diagnosis and Treatment, 4(1), 3–16. https://doi.org/10.6000/2292-2598.2016.04.01.1

Issue

Section

Special Issue - Harnessing the Power of Interprofessional Practice and Education