Training basic teaching skills to community and institutional support staff for people with severe disabilities: a one-day program.

The team packed a full BST course into one workday. Staff watched short lessons, saw video demos, practiced with a coach, and got on-the-job feedback.

Twenty-four community and institutional support workers took the class. All served adults or children with severe intellectual disability.

The goal was simple: teach the basic teaching skills staff need every day—clear instructions, prompts, praise, and data collection.

Every staff member hit mastery by the end of the single day. When they used the new skills, their students learned more, too.

The brief package worked without long workshops or college credits.

Day-Watkins et al. (2018) and Early et al. (2012) later swapped the classroom for short voice-over videos and still saw strong fidelity. Their updates show you can trim the live lecture and keep the payoff.

Randell et al. (2007) replaced people with a computer kid. Tutors who trained on the DTkid simulator learned discrete-trial basics just as well, proving tech can stand in when staff are short on time.

Lattimore et al. (2006) flipped the lens: instead of training staff, they used BST drills to teach workers with autism new job tasks. Together the papers form a chain—BST works for both sides of the teaching equation.

You now have options. Run the classic one-day live workshop, email a 10-minute video, or assign a computer module. Pick the format that fits your budget and still get solid staff performance. Start Monday by carving out one hour for practice plus feedback—mastery can follow.