Comparing the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Behavioral Skills Training and a Brief Performance Feedback Intervention During the Training of Paraeducators Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Swap full BST for brief performance feedback to train paraeducators faster without losing treatment fidelity.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Ampuero et al. (2025) compared two ways to train paraeducators who work with students with autism. One group got the full Behavioral Skills Training package: instruction, model, practice, and feedback. The other group got brief performance feedback only.
The team used an alternating-treatments design. Each paraeducator experienced both training styles on different days. The goal was to see if the shorter method still produced accurate teaching.
What they found
Brief performance feedback worked just as well as the full BST package. Paraeducators reached the same high level of correct teaching steps no matter which training they received.
The big win was time. The brief feedback sessions took much less time than full BST while keeping quality high.
How this fits with other research
Clayton et al. (2019) already showed that a 10-minute BST package can lift staff accuracy to 97%. Ampuero’s team now shows you can cut even that short by skipping the instruction and modeling parts.
Briggs et al. (2024) reviewed 51 studies and found researchers keep trimming BST to save time. Ampuero’s work directly tests one of those trimmed versions and proves it works.
Higgins et al. (2021) call BST evidence-based for training parents of kids with autism. Ampuero adds paraeducators to that list and shows a faster path to the same result.
Why it matters
If you train aides in schools, you can replace full BST with brief feedback and still get solid teaching. You save staff time and get students the help they need sooner. Try giving quick feedback right after you watch a para run three trials. Skip the long lecture.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Abstract Paraeducators have become a critical component in the education of students with autism spectrum disorders in school settings. Due to this, the training of paraeducators is of critical concern for educational settings. The literature has suggested behavioral skills training (BST) as a widely researched intervention to address implementation deficiencies among educators and non-professional staff. However, despite its effectiveness, such approach fails to be adopted by schools as it may require increased time and resources, thus compromising the feasibility of paraeducator training in actual classroom. Limited research exists regarding the effectiveness and potential efficiency of brief training methods that incorporate some of the components of the BST package to train paraeducators in the classroom. Using an adapted alternating treatment design, this study attempted to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of a brief performance feedback (BPF) intervention when compared to the full BST package. Results of the present study suggested similar levels of effectiveness between the brief performance feedback intervention and BST and increased time efficiency of the BPF intervention over BST. Limitations of the current study and recommendations for future research and practice are discussed.
Journal of Behavioral Education, 2025 · doi:10.1007/s10864-025-09588-6