Emergency fire-safety skills. A study with blind adolescents.

Researchers taught four blind teenagers what to do if their clothes caught fire. They used a full Behavioral Skills Training package: explain the steps, show the steps, let the kids practice, give praise and fixes, and have each teen rate his own performance.

The team tracked the teens in a multiple-baseline design. Training happened in a group home kitchen. They tested each youth until he could stop, drop, and roll three times in a row without any prompts.

Three of the four teens hit the mastery goal after one training round. The fourth teen needed a second round. All three who mastered the skill still did it correctly three months later. At four months the performance had slipped a little but was still well above baseline.

Novotny et al. (2023) and Novotny et al. (2020) moved the same BST recipe into parents' hands. Moms and dads used free web modules to teach firearm safety to young children at home. The online package worked for about half the kids; the rest needed a quick in-situ booster. The shift from live trainers to web delivery extends the 1984 model to families who lack on-site BCBA support.

Cicchetti et al. (2014) kept the live trainer but added in-situ feedback for children with autism. Every child learned to run from an abduction lure. The extra real-world feedback step fills the gap when learners need more than the basic BST script, something the 1984 study did not test.

Orner et al. (2021) looks like a contradiction at first glance. Their simulation-only version gave mixed results for autistic preschoolers. The difference is format: T et al. used full live practice with real robes and a carpet; Orner used small toy props. The weaker outcome shows that scaled-down simulations may not pack enough punch for every learner, especially younger ones or those with developmental delays.

If you serve teens with visual impairments, you now have a road-tested BST script for fire safety. Run the full package—explain, model, practice, feedback, self-score—and expect mastery in one or two sessions. Schedule a three-month check-up to catch any drift. For other populations, borrow the extensions: hand the web modules to parents for firearm lessons or add in-situ feedback when learners stall. Keep the practice real; tiny tabletop versions may not cut it.