Using Acceptance and Commitment Training and Behavior Skills Training to Enhance Therapist Pairing Skills
ACT gives RBTs a quick pairing boost, but you still need BST to lock in mastery.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Three new RBTs took a half-day ACT workshop. They learned to notice their own thoughts and stay present with kids.
After the workshop the researchers watched each RBT play with a child for five minutes. They scored how well the RBT paired using a 12-item checklist.
What they found
ACT alone gave a quick bump in pairing scores, but the bump faded. Only one RBT hit the mastery line and stayed there.
The other two RBTs needed two extra BST coaching sessions. After that, all three reached 90 % correct and kept it there.
How this fits with other research
Sherman et al. (2021) showed that plain BST can push teachers to near-perfect fidelity in just a few trials. Denegri adds ACT as a first layer, but still needs BST to finish the job.
Al-Nasser et al. (2019) got novices to mastery with only a picture packet and no feedback. Their result looks like a contradiction, but the task was simpler (preference assessments, not playful pairing), so less training was needed.
Ausenhus et al. (2019) proved remote BST works for preference assessments. Denegri’s team trained face-to-face, but the same remote setup could save travel time while still giving the needed coaching layer.
Why it matters
If you run staff training, start with a brief ACT exercise to help RBTs drop nervous thoughts and focus on the child. Then jump straight into BST with live feedback. The combo takes about one workday and gives you durable pairing skills that kids feel right away.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
ABSTRACT Pairing, sometimes called rapport building, is a technique used to contribute to therapeutic relationships and help establish instructional control with clients. While these skills have been explicitly trained in previous studies, engaging in these skills in natural therapeutic settings could be difficult due to environmental stressors common to these environments. In this regard, acceptance and commitment training (ACT) can be a useful supplement to traditional performance management techniques (e.g., training, feedback). The present study examined three operationalized presession pairing skills with three Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs). A concurrent multiple probe design across participants was used to evaluate the use of ACT training on these skills. Participants were first exposed to a brief ACT module. Following monitoring of performance, participants whose percentage of skills fell below inclusionary criteria were provided with supplemental behavioral skills training (BST). Results suggest that ACT alone may result in temporary performance increases, however, 2 of 3 participants required additional support with BST to reach acceptable levels. In short, ACT may be an effective methodology to improve employee performance, but it likely should be a complement to effective training and performance management processes.
Behavioral Interventions, 2025 · doi:10.1002/bin.70050