Using videoconferencing to support teachers to conduct preference assessments with students with autism and developmental disabilities

Preparing Interventionists via Telepractice in Incidental Teaching for Children with Autism

“…Online instruction consisted of interactive learning activities (e.g., Hamad et al 2010;Heitzman-Powell et al 2014), and video models and exemplars (e.g., Hamad et al 2010). When providing feedback via videoconferencing, studies relied on immediate performance feedback with trainers observing interventionists implementing the target skill and immediately providing feedback on the implementation (Gibson et al 2010;Hay-Hansson and Eldevik 2013;Heitzman-Powell et al 2014;Machalicek et al 2009Machalicek et al , 2010Suess et al 2014;Wainer and Ingersoll 2014). All of the identified studies reported interventionists were able to implement the target assessment or intervention with increased fidelity following the training program.…”

“…In particular, it is unclear whether the self-evaluation and the delayed feedback were both active elements in the training package. It is possible that the delayed feedback on the self-evaluation may have acted as performance feedback which has been demonstrated as an effective means of preparing interventionists in EBPs (e.g., Machalicek et al 2009;O'Reilly and Renzaglia 1994). In addition, because a training criterion was set at four consecutive sessions of above 90 % fidelity, it is possible that this served as over-training, which is a behavioral change technique that has been associated with acquisition and maintenance of skills (Stokes and Baer 1977).…”

“…A substantial literature base demonstrates the effectiveness of teaching ABA assessment and intervention skills to interventionists of students with ASD (e.g., Machalicek et al 2009), and parents of children with ASD (e.g., Lang et al 2009;Patterson et al 2012). These training programs have resulted in positive outcomes for the interventionists, with improved behavior(s) realized for the child/student with ASD ( Barton-Arwood et al 2005;Madzharova et al 2012;Sarokoff and Sturmey 2008).…”

Peer mediation to increase communication and interaction at recess for students with autism spectrum disorders

“…Lang and colleagues (2011) conducted a review of 15 studies that used recess time to teach target behaviors to students with ASD. In several studies, the perseverative interests or preferred activities of the children were incorporated into the recess or social events with improvements in social/play interactions and affect ratings (Baker et al, 1998; Koegel et al, 2012; Licciardello et al, 2008; Machalicek et al, 2009). Machalicek et al, taught three children with ASD to select pictures of preferred equipment to use on the playground and pictures were then used to create an activity schedule.…”

Benefits of Teacher Collaboration Across Varying Stages of the Research Process

“…These assessment procedures can be complicated and often require procedural adaptations to be appropriate for a particular individual and environment (Hanley, Iwata, & McCord, 2003). When outside experts trained to conduct these assessments are not available, teachers may be expected to implement these assessments independently (Machalicek et al, 2009). Because these assessments are an essential component of planning the intervention, research that demonstrates a teacher's ability to implement only the intervention and not the preceding assessment can only draw limited conclusions regarding the feasibility of independent use by a classroom teacher.…”