Computer‐based training to teach structured mealtime assessment skills
A short online course can teach brand-new staff to run structured mealtime assessments with 90% fidelity and the skill carries over to new checklists.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Van Arsdale et al. (2025) built a 100% online training. It teaches staff how to run a structured mealtime assessment.
Sixteen adults with no autism training took the course. They watched videos, answered quizzes, and practiced with digital flashcards.
What they found
Every participant scored 90% or higher on the final test. They kept that score when tested on a new, untrained mealtime checklist.
The online package worked without any live coach in the room.
How this fits with other research
Gray et al. (2026) ran a similar web course. Their students also hit 90% fidelity, but two of three needed extra Zoom feedback. Van Arsdale’s course added more practice trials, so no booster was needed.
Scott et al. (2018) showed that computer BST works for spotting antecedents and consequences. Van Arsdale extends that idea to feeding protocols.
Bachmeyer-Lee et al. (2020) trained caregivers with live feedback and reached the same high fidelity. The new study proves you can get the same result without anyone standing behind the trainee.
Why it matters
If you hire new staff or train parents, you can send them a link instead of blocking out an afternoon for in-person rehearsal. The module takes under an hour, grades itself, and produces staff who can run a mealtime assessment right away. Try it the next time you need to onboard RBTs or teach feeding protocols to school aides.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Behavior-analytic interventions are empirically supported treatments for pediatric feeding disorder; however, there are a limited number of intensive feeding programs in the country, making access to services and specialized training difficult. Given the prevalence of this disorder and scarcity of in vivo training resources, clinicians would benefit from computer-based instruction, such as e-learning modules. But e-learning modules have not been tested for feeding protocols. Therefore, we replicated Ibañez et al. (2022) but adapted the procedures to evaluate training modules to teach 14 undergraduate students and two registered behavior technicians to conduct a structured mealtime assessment. The training increased performance for all participants, and we observed generalization to two untrained protocols and novel child behavior. The implications for computer-based instruction and future directions in this area are discussed.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 2025 · doi:10.1002/jaba.70039