Efeitos do BST na capacitação de cuidadores para o ensino de repertórios em crianças com Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA)

Abstract

Train caregivers in carrying out Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) disciplines to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can favor development, as well as expand access to interventions due to the lack of qualified professionals and scarcity of public services. Behavior Skill Training (BST) is commonly used in training people interested in teaching skills to learners with ASD. Studies show that it improves integrity in the implementation of interventions. BST consists of four components (didactic instructions for teaching important repertoires and managing interfering behaviors, modeling, behavioral rehearsal, and performance feedback). In the present study, after a baseline condition, each of three participating caregivers underwent BST training conditions. During a rehearsal phase involving interactions with a confederate, pretending to be a child with ASD simulating errors and successes in repertoires taught in discrete trials by an experimenter, to provided immediate and delayed performance feedback. All caregivers demonstrated more accurate performance (correctly implemented discrete trial components) in teaching five repertoires compared to baseline levels, with generalization of accurate teaching of five new repertoires to children with ASD. Caregivers evaluated their training positively, recommending the process to others interested. Accurate teaching was maintained by two caregivers one week after BST training, and children acquired new skills. Limitations were discussed, as well as possible directions for future research.