Skill acquisition in parents of children with developmental disabilities: interaction between skill type and instructional format.
Handouts first, feedback second—skill-by-skill—when teaching parents to carry out ABA procedures.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team taught parents of kids with developmental disabilities how to run basic ABA skills. They tried two ways: just talking and giving handouts, or talking plus live feedback.
Each parent learned several skills. The researchers tracked which format worked for each skill.
What they found
Talking and handouts were enough for some skills. Other skills needed the extra feedback step.
Results were mixed. One parent might nail one skill with words alone but need feedback on the next skill.
How this fits with other research
Al-Nasser et al. (2019) looks like a contradiction at first. Their adults hit near-perfect fidelity with only pictorial self-instruction. The difference: they used clear photos and checklists, while C et al. used plain words. Pictures beat words.
Hoch et al. (2007) used the same step-up logic. They started with video-only prompts, then added a second viewing plus trainer help when learners stalled. The pattern matches: start lean, add help only if needed.
Frankel et al. (2010) extends the idea. They moved parent training into a full social-skills program for kids with autism. Parents still needed the same graduated coaching C et al. showed, but the gains lasted three months.
Why it matters
Start every parent with a simple script or handout. Watch the first trial. If the parent hits criterion, move on. If not, jump straight to live feedback—don’t repeat the same verbal instructions. This saves you time and keeps parent confidence high.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
A variety of instructional formats have been used to teach parents of children with developmental disabilities how to implement treatments for problem behavior. Although several authors have suggested that the efficacy of various instructional methods might depend on the type of skill taught to parents, no studies have been designed to systematically explore this potential interaction. In this preliminary study, three parents who requested outpatient services for treatment of their children's problem behavior were taught to implement multiple treatment components. Therapists employed the most cost-efficient method first (i.e., written and verbal instructions) to teach prescribed behavior management strategies (e.g., differential reinforcement). If the parent's behavior failed to meet a performance criterion, feedback was included in training sessions. The efficacy of verbal and written instructions varied across different components of the child's treatment program.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2000 · doi:10.1016/s0891-4222(00)00033-0