National Autism Conference 2019

When thinking about service delivery to individuals with autism, it is reasonable to stress the importance of well-trained staff. The teachers and direct-care workers shoulder huge responsibility when delivering treatment for the individuals they serve. The staff are expected to implement instructional protocols and behavior treatment plans that, if successful, should result in individuals with autism possessing a wider skill set, and engaging in skills and competencies more independently, with greater efficiency, all that should lead to a higher quality of life. Thus, it is critical to service provision that staff are trained to implement protocols and plans with great efficiency and fidelity. The quality of the interventions is important too, in that these interventions must result in accomplishing the stated goals that should lead to great client outcomes. But procedures designed to effectively train staff that leads to long-term maintenance must be identified and used for these purposes. This presentation will focus on many issues related to the training and maintenance to achieve those goals. Different training models will be presented, with outcome data being reported. Low- and high-tech staff training strategies will be discussed, along with common errors that staff make when implementing instructional and behavioral plans. Credits: Act 48, SW, Psych, PT, OT, BACB, INFANT, ASHA