Development and Evaluation of Interactive Computerized Training to Teach Practitioners to Implement Safety Skills Training

Children can experience unintentional injuries due to safety threats found in their environments (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008). Researchers have shown that children can be taught safety responses using behavioral skills training (BST) and in situ training (IST). Within the safety skills literature, there is evidence that manualized interventions are effective for teaching parents and teachers to deliver BST (Gross et al., 2007; Novotny et al., 2020). An approach that has not been evaluated for teaching safety skills is interactive computerized training (ICT). The ICT approach employs technology to deliver trainings in the absence of a trainer (Gerencser et al., 2018; Higbee et al., 2016). The purpose of the current study was to develop and evaluate an ICT to teach practitioners to conduct a safety skills training protocol with their clients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Phase 1 of the study consisted of developing the ICT and soliciting expert feedback. In Phase 2, the researchers evaluated the ICT program with three Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA®) who provided behavior analytic services to clients with ASD. In the final phase, the BCBAs implemented safety skills training with their clients. In situ assessments were arranged to evaluate the effects of training on the clients' safety responses. Overall, the BCBAs implemented the safety skills training protocol with high fidelity during post-ICT assessments and rated the ICT program positively. Following enhanced-BST and IST, the clients with ASD engaged in the safety skills during in situ assessments. Caregivers rated the safety skills training protocol favorably. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]