Using Telehealth and Expert Coaching to Support Early Childhood Special Education Parent-Implemented Assessment and Intervention Procedures

Abstract

Researchers and clinicians have successfully demonstrated the use of telehealth in supporting parents to conduct functional analyses (FAs) and subsequent functional communication training (FCT). We replicated and extended previous research by utilizing telehealth to train an existing Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Behavior Specialist to support parent implementation of behavioral procedures. Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) coached the existing Behavior Specialist via telehealth, who in turn trained and supported parents to conduct FAs and implement FCT in a community clinic. In four children, 3 years of age and younger, the function of challenging behavior was successfully identified according to a multielement research design. Challenging behavior reduced, and the selected appropriate communication response increased for all participants, evaluated using an AB research design. This study provides initial evidence that parents in rural settings can successfully implement assessment and intervention procedures with the support of an existing ECSE Behavior Specialist receiving coaching from BCBAs via telehealth.