These answers draw in part from “Intro to Motivational Interviewing Micro-Skills for Parent Training” by Monica Gilbert, BCBA-D, PsyD., Licensed psychologist, LMHC (BehaviorLive), and extend it with peer-reviewed research from our library of 27,900+ ABA research articles. Clinical framing, BACB ethics code references, and cross-links below are synthesized by Behaviorist Book Club.
View the original presentation →Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative, evidence-based communication approach designed to help individuals resolve ambivalence about behavior change. It is relevant to ABA parent training because caregiver engagement is critical for treatment success, and traditional directive communication styles can inadvertently increase parent resistance. MI provides specific communication tools that help behavior analysts build rapport, understand parent perspectives, and evoke the parent's own motivation for implementing behavioral strategies. By transforming the quality of practitioner-parent communication, MI can improve treatment engagement and implementation fidelity.
OARS+I stands for Open questions, Affirmations, Reflections, Summaries, and providing Information with permission. Open questions invite parents to share their thoughts and feelings rather than answering yes or no. Affirmations recognize parent strengths and efforts. Reflections demonstrate understanding by paraphrasing what the parent has said. Summaries pull together key points from the conversation. Information provision uses the Ask-Offer-Ask approach: asking what the parent knows, offering information with permission, and asking how it applies to their situation. Together, these skills create a collaborative, respectful dialogue that supports parent engagement.
Sustain talk consists of statements that support maintaining the status quo, such as reasons not to implement a behavioral strategy, expressions of inability, minimization of the problem, or arguments against change. Change talk consists of statements that support behavior change, such as expressed desire for change, perceived ability to change, reasons for change, or recognition of the need for change. In MI, the practitioner's goal is to evoke and reinforce change talk while responding to sustain talk empathically rather than argumentatively. The balance between sustain talk and change talk during a conversation predicts subsequent behavior change.
Traditional behavioral parent training typically focuses on teaching specific skills through instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. It is effective for skill development but may not address the caregiver's motivation to implement those skills. MI complements traditional parent training by addressing the motivational dimension. While traditional training tells parents what to do and how to do it, MI helps them explore why they want to do it and resolves ambivalence that may be blocking implementation. The most effective approach combines both: MI-informed communication to build engagement and motivation, delivered alongside evidence-based behavioral parent training content.
Using MI micro-skills to enhance parent training communication is within the scope of ABA practice, as effective communication with caregivers is a core professional competency. However, behavior analysts should recognize the boundaries of their application. Using OARS+I skills and basic MI strategies in parent training contexts is appropriate. Conducting MI-based therapy for clinical conditions such as substance use disorders or mental health concerns is not within the ABA scope of practice. Behavior analysts should use MI skills to enhance their existing parent training work and refer families to licensed counselors or psychologists when more intensive motivational or therapeutic support is needed.
Signs that your communication style may be contributing to resistance include parents who become argumentative or defensive when you present recommendations, parents who agree in session but do not implement strategies at home, parents who cancel or miss sessions frequently, conversations that feel like debates rather than collaborations, and parents who appear disengaged or passive during training. If you notice yourself frequently arguing for change while the parent argues against it, this dynamic, called the righting reflex in MI, is a strong indicator that your communication approach is inadvertently increasing resistance rather than resolving it.
The Ask-Offer-Ask approach is an MI-consistent method for sharing information that respects parent autonomy and increases the likelihood that information will be personally relevant. First, Ask the parent what they already know about the topic or what they would like to know. This prevents repeating information they already have and signals respect for their existing knowledge. Then, Offer the information with permission, framing it as something they might find useful rather than as a directive. Finally, Ask what they think about the information, how it applies to their situation, or whether they have questions. This three-step approach transforms information delivery from a lecture into a dialogue.
Developing basic competence in MI micro-skills typically requires initial training followed by several months of deliberate practice with feedback. The OARS+I skills can be understood conceptually in a few hours of training, but applying them naturally in clinical conversations requires practice. Most MI training models recommend ongoing supervision or coaching to develop and maintain skills. Practitioners should expect to feel somewhat awkward initially as they shift from familiar communication patterns to new ones. With consistent practice, MI skills become more natural and eventually integrate seamlessly into parent training interactions. Periodic skill refreshers help prevent drift back to previous communication patterns.
MI principles and micro-skills can be adapted for parents with diverse communication needs, though adaptations may be necessary. The core MI values of partnership, acceptance, compassion, and evocation are universal and do not depend on specific language skills. When working with interpreters, practitioners can still use open questions, affirmations, and reflections, though the nuance of reflective listening may be partially lost in translation. For parents with communication differences, practitioners may need to adapt the format of OARS+I skills while maintaining their spirit. Visual supports, simplified language, and extended conversation time can help maintain the collaborative MI approach across communication contexts.
When a parent expresses change talk but does not follow through, several factors may be at play. The change talk may be genuine but insufficient to overcome practical barriers such as time constraints, environmental challenges, or competing demands. In MI terms, the parent may have expressed desire for change but not yet developed a concrete plan. Explore what happened between the session and the attempted implementation. Ask about barriers they encountered and collaboratively problem-solve solutions. It may also be helpful to explore whether the implementation plan was realistic or whether it needs to be simplified. Avoid interpreting the gap between talk and action as dishonesty; instead, view it as an opportunity to deepen the conversation about what the parent needs to succeed.
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Intro to Motivational Interviewing Micro-Skills for Parent Training — Monica Gilbert · 1 BACB Ethics CEUs · $20
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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.