Teaching trainees to implement functional communication training with multiple schedules: An evaluation of training effects and durability

Six new staff learned how to run FCT with multiple schedules. Trainers used BST: short demo, practice with feedback, and a quick quiz.

After each trainee hit 90 % correct across two mock sessions, the team waited. They later threw in 'durability checks'—new client, new script, or new room—to see if skills stuck.

All six reached mastery in under four hours of training. Good news: BST worked fast.

Bad news: four of them slipped below 80 % when the check came. One booster session or just more real-world exposure put them back over 90 %.

Courtemanche et al. (2021) already showed you can train 18 people at once. Yassa keeps the group idea but adds planned booster shots when the case changes.

Jenkins et al. (2016) said one rehearsal is enough for FA tasks. Yassa agrees for first-time mastery, but shows extra reps later are needed to keep FCT-with-multiple-schedules sharp.

Conine et al. (2025) found caregiver BST fades without ongoing support. The same rule applies to staff: schedule the follow-up or fidelity drops.

Write a booster date on the calendar the day you finish BST. When a new client arrives, or the schedule shifts, run a ten-minute refresher. That tiny step prevents the 60 % drop Yassa saw and keeps FCT strong.