By Matt Harrington, BCBA · Behaviorist Book Club · Research-backed answers for behavior analysts
ADDIE stands for: Analyze (identify the performance gap and its root cause, determine whether training is the appropriate solution, characterize the learning audience), Design (specify the learning objectives, select delivery methods, plan evaluation), Develop (create the actual training materials, job aids, and assessments), Implement (deliver the training under planned conditions), and Evaluate (measure whether training produced the target behaviors in the actual performance context). The model is recursive — findings at later phases can trigger revision of earlier ones.
A behavior-analytic needs analysis identifies the performance gap between current and desired behavior, then investigates its root cause. The key distinction is between skill deficits (the person cannot perform the behavior even under ideal conditions) and performance deficits (the person can perform the behavior but does not under natural conditions). Skill deficits call for training. Performance deficits call for antecedent or consequence changes — training alone will not fix a motivation or environmental barrier problem. Direct observation, task analysis, and structured interviews are the primary analysis tools.
BST maps onto the Design and Develop phases of ADDIE by specifying the instructional methodology for behavioral skill training: verbal or written instruction (what the learner should do and why), modeling (demonstration of the target behavior under realistic conditions), rehearsal (practiced performance of the target behavior by the learner), and performance feedback (behavior-specific correction and reinforcement). The ADDIE model provides the overarching framework for when and how to apply BST — it does not replace BST but contextualizes it within a broader training system design.
Effective evaluation in behavior-analytic training focuses on whether the training produced the target behaviors in the actual performance context — not whether trainees found the training valuable or can pass a knowledge quiz. Behavioral evaluation involves direct observation of trainee performance in their clinical or caregiving role after training, measured against the same behavioral criteria used in the Design phase. Evaluation data feed back into the training system: if post-training performance does not meet criteria, the training design — not just the trainee — is a candidate for revision.
Parent and caregiver training using ADDIE begins with analyzing the specific behaviors the caregiver needs to perform to implement the behavior support plan — not a generic caregiver skill curriculum but the specific responses required by this plan in this home environment. Design phase decisions should account for caregiver learning history, available practice time, and the conditions under which the target behaviors will occur. BST with in-vivo rehearsal in the actual home setting is the delivery method most likely to produce generalized, maintained caregiver implementation.
Job aids are external reference tools — checklists, visual guides, decision flowcharts — that support correct performance in the moment without requiring memorization. They are appropriate when the target behavior involves multiple steps, when errors in sequence have significant consequences, when the behavior is performed infrequently enough that memory decay is likely, or when multiple staff need to perform a procedure consistently. Well-designed job aids embedded in the clinical environment can reduce training time while maintaining performance quality — a high-value, low-cost component of effective training design.
Designing for generalization requires deliberately varying training conditions to include representative samples of the actual performance contexts where the trained behavior must occur. If an RBT must implement a procedure across three different clients with different reinforcer preferences and communication profiles, training should include rehearsal with varied exemplars rather than a single scripted role-play. For caregivers, rehearsal in the actual home setting with the actual child is superior to clinic-based role-play for producing generalized implementation.
The most common error is treating content delivery as training completion — providing instruction and assuming that knowledge of the procedure equals readiness for independent performance. Training is not complete until rehearsal has occurred and performance has been assessed against behavioral criteria. Preventing this error requires building rehearsal and performance assessment into the training design as required components, not optional supplements. Organizations that require documented competency demonstration before independent practice automatically prevent this failure mode.
Multimedia delivery — video modeling, e-learning modules, digital job aids — can support the Instruction and Modeling phases of BST efficiently, reaching multiple staff across varied schedules without requiring synchronous trainer time. However, multimedia delivery cannot replace rehearsal and feedback, which require real-time interaction. The appropriate design decision is to use multimedia for instruction and modeling components (where asynchronous delivery is effective) and reserve synchronous trainer time for rehearsal and feedback components (where real-time responsiveness is required).
BACB Ethics Code section 2.10 requires that training provided by behavior analysts is consistent with behavior-analytic principles — which means it must include rehearsal and behavioral feedback, not just didactic instruction. Section 4.04 requires supervisors to verify supervisee competence before independent practice, which training design must make possible through embedded competency assessment. Section 1.04 requires truthfulness in communication, which means behavior analysts should not represent training completion as competency verification unless behavioral performance has been assessed.
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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.