Generalization procedures in training interventionists for individuals with developmental disabilities.
Pack staff training with shared stimuli, multiple exemplars, and mediator self-checks to make new skills stick where they count.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Gianoumis et al. (2012) read 54 single-subject papers that taught staff or parents how to work with people with developmental disabilities.
They counted which studies added extra steps to make the new skills carry over to real-life places.
What they found
Forty-six of the 54 studies used at least one generalization tactic.
The top three moves were: use the same toys or words in class and at home, train with many examples, and teach the learner to ask for help or check their own work.
How this fits with other research
Neely et al. (2018) later looked at 37 FCT studies and saw the opposite picture: most skipped generalization probes. The gap shows we plan better for staff training than for kid training.
Hickey et al. (2024) widened the lens to general-case work beyond autism and found the same flaw—few authors write clear steps or check real-world carry-over. Together the reviews say we know what to do, but we still forget to do it.
Mitchelson et al. (2025) tested one tactic—enhanced written instructions—and got mixed results. Their data echo the 2012 warning: one tactic is rarely enough; be ready to add more.
Why it matters
When you train staff or parents, copy the winning trio: shared stimuli, lots of examples, and self-monitoring or mediator cues. Write these steps into your training plan from day one, not as an after-thought. Probe in the natural setting early and often. If generalization fails, add another tactic instead of re-teaching the same way.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The literature pertaining to training staff, parents, and peers to implement interventions for individuals with developmental disabilities was reviewed for training procedures that incorporated strategies to promote generalization. The search engines for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and Pubmed© were used to find relevant studies. Studies met the inclusion criteria if they sufficiently operationalized their training procedure, took data on individual trainees' performance, and used a single-subject experimental design. The training procedures were coded for generalization procedures as per Stokes and Baer. Of the 54 studies, 46 considered used procedures to promote generalization. The most prevalent generalization procedures were use of common stimuli, followed by using sufficient exemplars and mediated generalization. Studies demonstrated empirical support for these procedures producing generalized use of newly acquired direct-care skills. The remaining generalization procedures cited in Stokes and Baer were absent or far less prevalent. Future research should explore the use of these procedures and their effectiveness as a technology to bring about generalized responding of interventionists' skills.
Behavior modification, 2012 · doi:10.1177/0145445511432920