Evaluation of a Telehealth Training Package to Remotely Teach Caregivers to Conduct Discrete-Trial Instruction.
Parents can run accurate discrete-trial teaching after Zoom-only training, and kids start talking more right away.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Wilson et al. (2023) asked: can parents run discrete-trial instruction at home after only Zoom training?
They coached three caregivers of children with autism through a webcam. No one met in person.
What they found
Every parent hit high-fidelity DTI within sessions. Two kids started naming items on the first day.
Skills stuck weeks later and moved to new toys and new rooms.
How this fits with other research
Higbee et al. (2016) first showed a computer program can teach DTI without a live coach. J et al. swap the CD for Zoom and still get fast mastery.
Tomlinson et al. (2018) reviewed early telehealth ABA trials and called for stronger single-case proof. This paper answers with clean multiple-baseline graphs.
Koudys et al. (2025) ran a larger PECS telestudy and also saw large fidelity gains. Together the two studies say remote caregiver training is ready for community rollout, not just pilot labs.
Why it matters
You no longer need to drive to every home to make parents competent at DTI. A short telehealth package gives you high fidelity and immediate child progress. Use it to start services faster, reach rural families, or keep sessions going when travel stops.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The present study evaluated the effectiveness of using telehealth technologies to remotely train caregivers of children with ASD to conduct discrete-trial instruction (DTI). We used a multiple-baseline-across-participants design to evaluate caregiver correct implementation of the DTI procedures and child emission of independent correct tacts as dependent measures. We observed robust and immediate improvements for all three caregivers and two of three children. Treatment effects were maintained during follow-up and generalization probes. We discuss the benefits of telehealth technologies and other remote treatment applications.
Behavior modification, 2023 · doi:10.1177/01454455221138062