Using behavioral skills training to teach implementation of behavioral interventions to teachers and other professionals: A systematic review

Slane and team looked at every paper that used Behavioral Skills Training (BST) to teach teachers or other school staff how to run behavior plans. They found 20 studies published between 1989 and 2020.

The kids in these classrooms had mixed diagnoses—autism, ADHD, emotional disturbance, or general learning problems. The reviewers asked one question: after BST, did staff actually run the plan the way it was written?

All 20 studies said the same thing—BST worked. Fidelity scores jumped after training and stayed high. Seven studies were strong enough to trust without doubt; the other 13 had weaker designs but still showed gains.

No study reported zero effect. The smallest gain moved staff from 40 % accuracy to 80 %. The biggest moved them from 30 % to 95 %.

Shawler et al. (2021) and Neely et al. (2022) extend these results to telehealth. They show you can hit the same high fidelity when you train high-school teachers or BCBAs through a screen—no car ride needed.

DeFriedman (2021) pushes the package even further. One online BST session cut car-seat misuse by 97 % with 171 new parents. Same four-step BST—just a different skill and a living room instead of a classroom.

Sleiman et al. (2023) offers a lighter version. They swapped rehearsal and feedback for a simple teach-back check. Staff still hit 88 % fidelity with zero prep. It looks like a contradiction, but it’s really a shortcut: when time is tight, ask the learner to explain the steps back to you and add one quick correction if needed.

If you supervise teachers, aides, or therapists, BST is your go-to tool. Pick a target skill, model it, let them practice, give immediate feedback, and watch fidelity climb. Start Monday by filming a two-minute model of the intervention, then have staff rehearse during the next prep period. One round of feedback is usually enough to push accuracy past 80 %.