An Examination of the Intervention-Enhancing Effect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy–Based Training on Direct Service Professionals’ Performance in the Workplace
A quick ACT add-on to normal feedback doubles direct-support staff’s active teaching time.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team split direct-support staff into three groups. One group got normal feedback. One got feedback plus ACT lessons. One got nothing.
Staff worked with adults who have developmental disabilities. The study ran in real group homes. Researchers watched who gave more active treatment.
What they found
The ACT-plus-feedback group worked harder. They used teaching moves more often and with better skill. Plain feedback helped a little, but ACT made the big jump.
How this fits with other research
Pingo et al. (2020) ran a tiny version of the same mix. They saw the same lift with just a few staff. The new paper shows the boost holds when you scale up.
Akemoğlu et al. (2025) and van Noorden et al. (2022) also layer coaching. They add live help on top of videos for parents. The pattern is the same: first teach, then coach, then watch skills grow.
No study clashed. All show that stacking a mindset piece—ACT or extra coaching—on basic training gives stronger, longer gains.
Why it matters
You already give feedback. Add a short ACT module. Two hours on values and acceptance can turn polite nods into real treatment moves. Try it with one staff next week and track active minutes.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Direct service professionals (DSPs) provide treatment to individuals with developmental disabilities; however, high levels of performance are not always prevalent among these professionals. The present study examined the effect of an intervention package with verbal and written performance feedback and a performance-based lottery alone as part of a treatment package including an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-based training program on the frequency and technical competence of active treatment for individuals with disabilities provided by DSPs. Both intervention groups performed significantly better than the control group on all observational measures (p < .05). The performance enhancement intervention (PEI) plus ACT group outperformed the PEI group significantly in frequency of active treatment at posttest (p < .05). Self-reported levels of psychological flexibility, workplace stress, and job satisfaction remained stable for all three groups from pre- to posttest despite the increased performance among DSPs in the two intervention groups.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2022 · doi:10.1007/s40617-018-00275-9