School & Classroom

Training kindergarten students lockdown drill procedures using behavioral skills training

Dickson et al. (2017) · Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis 2017
★ The Verdict

A single 20-minute BST session teaches kindergarteners to stay quiet and follow every lockdown step, and it sticks for weeks.

✓ Read this if BCBAs and teachers writing crisis-drill plans in preschool and kindergarten.
✗ Skip if Clinicians serving only older students or home-based programs.

01Research in Context

01

What this study did

Three kindergarten classes learned lockdown drills. Each class had 12-the kids.

The teacher used BST: explain steps, show a model, let kids practice, give praise and fixes.

Noise level and correct steps were tracked across baseline, training, and follow-up.

02

What they found

After one 20-minute BST session, all three groups hit 90-a large share correct steps.

Classroom noise dropped from loud talking to whisper level.

Skills stayed high two weeks later with no extra practice.

03

How this fits with other research

Abadir et al. (2021) got similar safety gains with kids with autism, but used short videos instead of live BST. Both worked, so you can pick the mode that fits your learners.

Groom-Shedler et al. (2025) also used video modeling for poison safety in autism. They added brief real-life rehearsal when video alone failed. Dickson shows live BST can be enough for neurotypical kindergarteners.

Jameson et al. (2008) trained peers to deliver instruction in class. Dickson keeps the teacher as trainer but uses the same BST steps: show, practice, feedback. Together they say BST works whether delivered by staff or peers.

04

Why it matters

You can lock in quiet, quick lockdown behavior in under half an hour. Use the same four-step BST package you already know: tell, show, do, praise. No extra gear or apps needed. Perfect for the first week of school or after winter break.

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Pick one lockdown routine, run one BST cycle with your class, and track noise with a free phone app.

02At a glance

Intervention
behavioral skills training
Design
multiple baseline across participants
Population
neurotypical
Finding
positive

03Original abstract

During situations in which a gunman is present on a school campus, lockdowns are initiated until the threat is removed. However, there are no data demonstrating an effective teaching strategy to increase students' correct responding during a lockdown. We evaluated the effectiveness of behavioral skills training (BST) to teach three groups of kindergarten students how to respond during lockdown drills. Results showed that participant groups displayed increases in correct steps and decreases in noise levels after BST was implemented; these effects maintained following training.

Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 2017 · doi:10.1002/jaba.369