Innovations in Behavioral Intervention Preparation for Paraprofessionals Working with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors
Serna, Richard W.Lobo, Harold E.
Fleming, Cindy K.
Curtin, Carol
Foran, Michelle M.
Hamad, Charles D.
Document Type
Journal ArticlePublication Date
2015-01-01Keywords
Behavior and Behavior MechanismsExperimental Analysis of Behavior
Mental Disorders
Psychiatry and Psychology
Psychology
Special Education and Teaching
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Given the empirically validated success of behavioral intervention based on applied behavior analysis for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities, the demand for knowledgeable and skilled paraprofessional teaching staff is very high. Unfortunately, there currently exists a widely recognized shortage of such practitioners. This article describes the development of an online training program aimed at preparing paraprofessionals for face-to-face training and supervision as part of a solution to the growing demand. The focus of the program has been on moving beyond traditional online pedagogy, which has limited interactivity. Instead, the approach to teaching fundamental knowledge and implementation skills in behavioral intervention methods incorporates first-person simulations, typical of live mentor/mentee training. Preliminary program evaluation data are also described.Source
Serna, R. W., Lobo, H. E., Fleming, C. K., Fleming, R. K., Curtin, C., Foran, M. M., & Hamad, C. D. (2015). Innovations in Behavioral Intervention Preparation for Paraprofessionals Working with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Special Education Technology, 30(1). PMCID:NIHMS604362