Using Behavioral Skills Training to Support Caregivers Through Educational Telehealth

Abstract

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.