Evaluating a Consultant-Delivered Behavioral Skills Training and Self-Assessment Checklist Package used in the Czech Republic
Six short BST workshops plus a self-check sheet felt valid to Czech adults working toward ABA credentials.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Six Czech adults who want BCBA or BCaBA credentials joined six Saturday workshops.
A consultant ran each workshop with BST steps: explain, model, practice, feedback.
After every session the adults filled out a self-check list to spot their own strengths and gaps.
What they found
All six adults said the package felt useful, fair and easy to use.
They liked the checklist most because it let them track progress without a supervisor.
How this fits with other research
Gormley et al. (2019) ran a one-day BST plus coaching in Irish group homes and saw big knowledge gains. Kingsdorf et al. used the same core steps, but spread them over six shorter meetings and added the checklist. The longer pace may help people who study while they work.
Maliki et al. (2025) copied the model in Arabic for UAE parenting coaches and also saw mastery plus high social validity. The pattern shows BST travels well across languages when you keep the four steps and let learners self-monitor.
de Souza et al. (2023) pushed the idea further in Brazil. They used brief BST role-play to lift DTT fidelity with autistic learners and saw strong skill gains. The Czech study did not measure child outcomes, so the Brazil paper extends the same package to show learner benefit, not just staff satisfaction.
Why it matters
If you train staff overseas, run short BST cycles and give a simple self-rating sheet. The Czech team proved you do not need a full university course to win buy-in. One checklist and six focused meetings can ready new practitioners for credential exams and real cases. Try it next time you mentor RBTs or parent coaches who juggle work and study.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Recently, the Czech Republic has moved toward establishing licensure and securing funding for the advancement of applied behavior analysis (ABA). However, the breadth and quality of ABA services remains limited. Most practitioners are providing in-home ABA services with irregular oversight, are working in regions without access to support and collaboration, and forming partnerships with parents that may result in dual relationships. In an effort to improve ABA provisions, a structured professional development curriculum was presented across six behavioral skills training (BST) workshops. Six practitioners working in the field of ABA and toward behavior analyst certification participated in the workshop series. In addition to advancing ABA in the region, the aim of the BST series was to pilot an adapted approach to professional development training using an extended format, practitioner-driven curriculum, and self-assessment checklist. The information was modularized and focused on the progression of establishing ABA services and development of skills associated with: moving through the intake process, assessment, behavior plan development, curriculum planning, and parent involvement. The validity and applicability of providing consultation services in this format for emerging behavior analytic markets was evaluated using practitioner-provided self-assessment. Despite limited data collection, the results indicate that the modified BST package was socially valid for the practitioners in the Czech Republic. This project may set the stage for future research in supporting new ABA practitioners in settings where the community of behavior analysts is small.
Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 2021 · doi:10.1080/01608061.2020.1808559