The Effects of Bug-in-Ear Coaching on Pre-Service Behavior Analysts’ Use of Functional Communication Training
A tiny earpiece coach lifts both speed and accuracy of intern FCT trials in preschool rooms.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team watched pre-service behavior analysts teach preschoolers with autism. They used a tiny earpiece to give tips in real time.
The goal was to see if live coaching could help interns run more FCT trials and do them correctly.
What they found
Bug-in-ear coaching worked. Interns ran more FCT trials and made fewer mistakes.
Kids got more chances to ask for breaks, toys, or help the right way.
How this fits with other research
Zhu et al. (2020) swapped live earpiece help for delayed Zoom feedback and still saw gains. This shows the trick travels across tech and age groups.
Ampuero et al. (2025) used one short BST session instead of live coaching and hit 90% fidelity. Both paths lead to the same place: quick, cheap ways to prep new staff.
Gormley et al. (2019) moved the idea to adult ID services with a one-day BST workshop. The coaching logic holds even when you scale up and switch settings.
Why it matters
You can boost intern FCT skills without pulling them out of the room. Slip on an earbud, whisper the next step, and watch fidelity climb. Try it during your next supervision block.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Behavior analysts play an important role in supporting the behavior and learning of young children with disabilities in natural settings. However, there is very little research related specifically to developing the skills and competencies needed by pre-service behavior analysts. This study examined the effects of “bug-in-ear” (BIE) coaching on pre-service behavior analysts’ implementation of functional communication training with pre-school children with autism in their classrooms. BIE coaching was associated with increases in the rate of functional communication training trials each intern initiated per session and in the fidelity with which interns implemented functional communication training. Adults created more intentional opportunities for children to communicate, and adults provided more systematic instruction around those opportunities.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2017 · doi:10.1007/s40617-016-0166-4