Comparação entre Tipos de Behavioral Skills Training para Capacitação de Estagiárias de Psicologia

O Behavioral Skills Training (BST) é utilizado na capacitação de profissionais, pais ou outros cuidadores e universitários para ensino de habilidades em aprendizes com Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA). Compreende: 1) instruções sobre princípios de Análise do Comportamento Aplicada (ABA) para o ensino de repertórios; 2) modelação (demonstração de comportamentos que devem ser emitidos durante o ensino); 3) ensaio comportamental com um confederado e 4) feedback de desempenho. O objetivo foi comparar a aplicação de dois tipos de BST (um com um componente de modelação ao vivo/presencial e, o outro, com um componente de modelação com vídeos) quanto a sua eficiência para a formação de seis estagiárias de graduação em Psicologia. Cada caso foi definido para melhorar a precisão no ensino de duas duplas de repertórios a um confederado, que simulava comportamentos de um aprendiz com TEA. A diferença entre os dois BST foi apenas em relação ao componente de modelação. Ambos produziram melhora na precisão do ensino de repertórios pelas estagiárias, e foram eficientes em uma medida semelhante, demandando poucos encontros para capacitação. Os dados foram discutidos considerando a importância de uma formação adequada para profissionais que possam colaborar no futuro com orientação de pais, e outros cuidadores, no manejo comportamental de seus familiares com TEA, tanto de forma presencial como remota (importante em tempos de pandemia do COVID-19).

Using Behavioral Skills Training to Support Caregivers Through Educational Telehealth

While the COVID-19 pandemic drastically affected families, it also accelerated the availability and use of video conferencing technology in their homes. Families will continue to experience challenges, even when children safely return to in-person instruction. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how practitioners can use behavioral skills training (BST) through educational telehealth to support caregivers’ implementation of evidence-based practices for children with disabilities. This article presents strategies on how to use synchronous and asynchronous technology to plan effective, efficient interventions that focus on families’ needs and preferences. BST procedures of instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback are discussed within a case study for Lucía, a young child with autism spectrum disorder, and her family as they learn effective antecedent-based and consequence interventions to improve Lucía’s compliance. Practical techniques with direct application, such as an Instructions handout and a Sample Schedule, support practitioners’ implementation of direct in-home support for caregivers through the use of technology.

Enhancing Cognitive Restructuring with Concurrent Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: A Transdiagnostic Randomized Controlled Trial

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Emotional dysregulation constitutes a serious public health problem in need of novel transdiagnostic treatments. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> To this aim, we developed and tested a one-time intervention that integrates behavioral skills training with concurrent repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Forty-six adults who met criteria for at least one DSM-5 disorder and self-reported low use of cognitive restructuring (CR) were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial that used a between-subjects design. Participants were taught CR and underwent active rTMS applied at 10 Hz over the right (<i>n</i> = 17) or left (<i>n</i> = 14) dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) or sham rTMS (<i>n</i> = 15) while practicing reframing and emotional distancing in response to autobiographical stressors. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Those who received active left or active right as opposed to sham rTMS exhibited enhanced regulation (<i>d</i>s = 0.21–0.62) as measured by psychophysiological indices during the intervention (higher high-frequency heart rate variability, lower regulation duration). Those who received active rTMS over the left dlPFC also self-reported reduced distress throughout the intervention (<i>d</i> = 0.30), higher likelihood to use CR, and lower daily distress during the week following the intervention. The procedures were acceptable and feasible with few side effects. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> These findings show that engaging frontal circuits simultaneously with cognitive skills training and rTMS may be clinically feasible, well-tolerated and may show promise for the treatment of transdiagnostic emotional dysregulation. Larger follow-up studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of this novel therapeutic approach.

Preparing Job Coaches to Implement Systematic Instructional Strategies to Teach Vocational Tasks

Job coaches are not typically trained to implement systematic instructional strategies to teach vocational skills to students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This study replicated and expanded the evaluation of a job coach behavioral skills training program designed by Brock et al. (2016) to teach participants to implement task analysis, simultaneous prompting, and system of least prompts to teach vocational tasks to students with IDD. We used a multiple probe design with probe conditions across strategies, replicated across three participants, to assess acquisition and generalization. Participants demonstrated mastery of the three instructional strategies in simulated assessments with actors and generalized use of the strategies to teach novel vocational tasks to student interns with IDD. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.