Using behavioural skills training via telehealth to increase teachers use of communication interventions and increase student use of speech‐generating devices in a high school functional skills classroom

Abstract

BackgroundBehavioural skills training (BST) has demonstrated effectiveness in training teachers in evidence‐based interventions to increase communication for children with limited repertoires. However, research has yet to extend to youth with developmental disabilities who are learning to communicate using speech‐generating devices. The emergent use of telehealth technology in applied behaviour analysis has been associated with greater access to therapeutic services. Although the use of telehealth has been extended as an avenue for parents to access behavioural intervention services for their child, fewer studies have evaluated the use of telehealth for teacher behavioural consultation or with adolescents and young adults with complex communication needs.MethodIn the present study, four teaching staff were trained via telehealth to implement communication facilitation strategies with augmentative and alterative communication users in a high school functional skills classroom. During the coaching sessions, the staff were provided BST on the basic behaviour analytic teaching strategies (e.g. assessing preference, environmental arrangement, and reinforcement strategies). Independent adapted ABAB designs were used to evaluate the effectiveness of modified BST delivered via telehealth on increased teaching staff‐implemented communication opportunities within the functional skills classroom and the effectiveness of staff‐implemented communication intervention on increased speech‐generating device mands for four adolescents/young adults with developmental disabilities.ResultsThe results indicated that the improved staff fidelity of the communication interventions was associated with the increased level of independent student mands for each dyad. Lastly, social validity data suggest that the procedures were acceptable and feasible. These data indicate that the use of telehealth may be a viable model for specialised classroom consultation.ConclusionThe use of a telehealth delivery model to train classroom staff may be a viable option when specialised support is necessary, but access is limited.

Application of Digital Games for Speech Therapy in Children: A Systematic Review of Features and Challenges

“…Speech is considered as one of the important means of human communication, and, among the other ways of communication such as writing, body language, and gesture, it is the most direct and principal method of communication [ 1 ]. Speech could also be considered an acoustic signal that expresses what is in the human mind [ 2 ].…”

Teleintervention for users of augmentative and alternative communication devices: A systematic review

“…66,67 A systematic review on parent-implemented interventions reported that most of their studies lacked information on implementation fidelity during follow-up. 67 In the current systematic review, only one study 52 reported a high fidelity maintained during a 1-month follow-up, making it difficult to conclude whether implementation fidelity is retained once the tele-AAC live coaching is finished. Given its apparent importance, future research is strongly encouraged to explore the implemented fidelity in tele-AAC interventions after the real-time feedback is removed.…”

“…Severe visual impairments are one of the main reasons for requiring these procedural modifications. [52][53][54] For a participant with severe visual impairments, 52 incorporating a verbal 'look prompt' during the second intervention phase increased the independent SGD use by 73% compared to the intervention phase without the verbal 'look prompt'. Similarly, a participant with visual impairments 53 increased their AAC responses by 28% once the screen layout was adapted by optimizing the placement of the icons.…”

“…Five studies used a SCED [51][52][53]55,56 and one was a cohort study. 54 Of the SCED studies, two used an AB design, 51,55 two used an ABAB design with returning baseline and intervention phases, 53,56 and one used an ABABC design 52 with a follow-up 1-month postintervention (Table S1). The cohort study used an AB design.…”

Evaluating the Acceptability and Social Validity of a Caregiver-Led Technology-Based Menstrual Hygiene Management Intervention for Youth on the Autism Spectrum

“…Telehealth, when used in the delivery of behavior skills training (BST) to support skill acquisition, has demonstrated promising levels of social validity and acceptability by both practitioners and caregivers (Boutain et al, 2020 ; Carnett et al, 2021 ; Dogan et al, 2017 ; Rios et al, 2020 ). Providers have widely used BST to teach youth new skills and train both caregivers (Schaefer & Andzik, 2020 ) and practitioners (Rios et al, 2020 ) on intervention procedures and strategies.…”