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

SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://sagepub.com

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Special Education Teachers; Teacher Role; Paraprofessional School Personnel; Coaching (Performance); Evidence Based Practice; Students with Disabilities; Autism; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Communication Skills; Training; Reinforcement; Interpersonal Communication; Functional Behavioral Assessment; Augmentative and Alternative Communication; Program Effectiveness; Behavior Modification

10.1177/1098300720957995

1098-3007

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.

As Provided

2021

EJ1297712