The Practical Functional Assessment and Skills-Based Treatment (PFA/SBT) protocol represents one of the most significant advances in behavioral technology for addressing severe challenging behavior in recent years. Developed from an extensive research program examining the specific variables that maintain treatment resistance and behavioral escalation, PFA/SBT achieves outcomes for clients that traditional antecedent manipulation and consequence-based interventions often fail to produce — not because those procedures are ineffective in principle, but because PFA/SBT addresses the relationship between the therapist and the client as a treatment variable in its own right.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Behavior Analysis Association of Michigan
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Join Free →ABA providers must stay up to date with the growth of behavioral technology in the field. This is especially true when clients present with severe and challenging behaviors. There has been a pivot with service providers to use strategies and procedures that are safe, ethical, and socially valid, such as the the Practical Functional Assessment and Skills Based Training (PFA/SBT) protocol. When new methods of assessment and intervention are shown to improve outcomes for consumers, it is important to facilitate the use of those procedures with existing staff. Effective and efficient training of staff can be a challenge for many agencies. Determining what and how new skills should be taught and ensuring fidelity of those procedures takes time and resources that supervisors do not always have. Furthermore, providers must also make sure consumer outcomes are effectively monitored before and during changes in intervention techniques and as staff are receiving training. This outcome data should drive treatment decisions and be used to evaluate the outcomes of the training efforts. The purpose of this presentation is to provide an overview of a Pyramidal Training model that has been developed to facilitate agency wide staff training on use of the PFA/SBT model. The presentation will include the development of a curriculum utilizing a Competency-Based teaching model based on Behavioral Skills Training with embedded job aids, video modeling and fidelity checklists to reduce expert time spent on in vivo training needed to reach mastery on competency measures. The presentation will also provide a model for assessment of staff performance and client outcomes that can be used to evaluate the training program and the discussion of a case to exemplify the implementation of the program components including training of BCBA level staff, behavior technician level staff, and parent engagement with the intervention.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1.5 | Supervision |
| COA | 1 | — |
Jacob Huber is a passionate and dedicated Board Certified Behavior Analyst focused on the safe, ethical, and effective treatment of severe problem behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Jacob earned his Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis from Ball State University, where his received comprehensive training in the principles and practices of ABA. As part of his graduate studies, Jacob completed extensive practicum supervision hours at Chitter Chatter P.C., a behavioral health center located in Dearborn, Michigan. Since becoming certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board in July 2024, Jacob has continued to demonstrate a commitment to providing high-quality, individualized care for children with autism. A firm believer in the power of collaboration and ongoing professional development, Jacob continually seeks out opportunities to refine his skills and stay up-to-date with the latest research and best practices in the field of ABA. His work is guided by a deep sense of responsibility to the individuals and families he serves, always ensuring that interventions are both respectful of the dignity of those involved and grounded in the principles of positive behavioral support.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
280 research articles with practitioner takeaways
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
252 research articles with practitioner takeaways
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All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.