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| Education I |
| Friday, November 30, 2001 |
| 11:00 AM–11:50 AM |
| White Hall |
| Area: EDC |
| Chair: James McEwan (University of Waikato) |
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| Establishing Quality Behavioral Services in New Zealand Using a Trainer of Trainers Model |
| Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis |
| GARY W. LAVIGNA (Institute for Applied Behavior Analysis) |
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| Abstract: In response to increasing market demand for more accountability for service quality and service outcomes within the New Zealand education system, the Institute for Applied Behavior Analysis (IABA) was employed to develop and implement a trainer of trainers program. The goal was to develop an internal national training team capable of training staff to provide behavioral services that met a high standard of professional practice. The first group of professionals was trained by IABA staff to conduct comprehensive functional assessments and to design and implement multielement support plans. Several members of the group were then selected to be part of the national training team. The training team was supervised and monitored by IABA staff during the initial training replication. To determine whether the national training team was able to train staff to the same level of professional competence as the external IABA trainers pre- and post- training assessments and support plans written by first and second generation trainees were evaluated using the Assessment and Support Plan Evaluation Instrument. Results indicated that the content and quality of the assessments and support plans significantly improved as a result of the training provided. Moreover, no significant differences were found between groups, which indicated that the training team was as effective in producing these results as the IABA staff in the first round of training. Results of satisfaction surveys distributed after training indicated that trainees were satisfied with the program and there were no significant differences between the overall scores of first and second generation trainees. The results of social validity surveys completed by parents, teachers, and principals also indicated general satisfaction with the services received by the newly trained professionals. Finally, a quality assurance monitoring system, the Periodic Service Review, was implemented to insure that service standards would be maintained at a high level of quality. Recommendations for future research in the use of this training model will be discussed. |
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| Promoting Performance and Task-Engagement in Teaching Interventions for Learning Disabled Children |
| Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis |
| LISA A. OSBORNE (University College London), Norah Frederickson (University College London), Phil Reed (University College London) |
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| Abstract: It has been suggested that behaviour has its own momentum. Once a child emits behaviours, their subsequent performance and task-engagement can be improved. This effect is usually achieved by getting the child to perform tasks in which engagement is highly probable, prior to those tasks where there is a lower probability of engagement (i.e. high-p procedures). However, the use of this procedure may shift the child's focus from the task. Once behavioural momentum has been generated, it may lead the behaviour in directions not helpful to learning. As with any process that builds momentum, control over the behavioural direction can be reduced as the momentum increases. The present study investigates the degree to which teacher-structured or child- controlled high-p procedures limit this problem, and enhance the effectiveness of the learning session. Children are given tasks to perform as part of a teaching intervention. For some part of the session, the tasks are given in a set order determined by the teacher. For another part of the session, the child selects the order in which the tasks are to be performed. The extent to which teacher-structured, or child-controlled procedures promote performance and task-engagement is examined. |
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