The effects of transition to technician‐delivered telehealth ABA treatment during the <scp>COVID</scp>‐19 crisis: A preliminary analysis

Pollard’s team switched 17 kids with autism from clinic ABA to Zoom ABA run by the same technicians.

They kept the same hours, same goals, and same data sheets. The only change was the screen.

Before and after scores on mastered tasks were compared—no extra control group.

Correct answers stayed the same or rose a little after the move to Zoom.

Dosage did not drop; families logged on for every planned hour.

No child lost skills during the first weeks of lock-down.

Ferguson et al. (2022) also saw gains when telehealth moved the coaching role from technician to parent. Their kids improved social words while Pollard’s kept mastered tasks—same medium, different teacher.

Sivaraman et al. (2020) reviewed nine global studies and found language translation and matched trainers were key. Pollard’s team skipped those steps because families already knew the staff, showing culture fit can be built in advance.

Sureshkumar et al. (2024) got big, lasting jumps in first-aid skills with short video clips. Pollard saw only steady maintenance, not huge gains. The difference: video prompting targets brand-new skills, while Pollard aimed to keep old ones—no contradiction, just different goals.

You can keep a child’s program alive during staff shortages, weather events, or illness by moving sessions to Zoom without cutting hours. Keep the same technician, goals, and data sheets; skills hold steady. Start with mastered tasks, then slowly add new ones once the routine feels normal to the family.