These answers draw in part from “Telehealth for training professionals and parents working with children with ASD in ABA” by Emma Craig, PhD, BCBA-D (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 →The strongest telehealth evidence in ABA supports parent training in behavioral skills — particularly training parents to implement functional communication training and basic ABA techniques. Brief functional analysis conducted via telehealth, with a remote BCBA coaching a parent or paraprofessional, has also been studied with positive results. BCBA supervision via telehealth has significant research support. Direct one-on-one therapy via telehealth has more mixed evidence depending on the client's age, skill level, and diagnosis — some clients respond well to mediated formats while others require more proximity-dependent intervention strategies.
Behavioral skills training involves four components: instructions (describing the skill verbally), modeling (demonstrating the skill), rehearsal (having the learner practice the skill), and feedback (providing specific, immediate feedback on performance). In telehealth delivery, instructions can be provided verbally or via written materials shared on screen. Modeling may use pre-recorded video demonstrations or role-play. Rehearsal occurs with the actual client during coaching sessions. Feedback must be timed carefully — often using a bug-in-ear earpiece — to provide specific, in-the-moment coaching without disrupting the learner's attention to the client.
A brief functional analysis is an abbreviated form of functional analysis that tests fewer conditions over a shorter period while still providing information about the behavioral function of problem behavior. Research has demonstrated that brief FA can be conducted via telehealth with parents or paraprofessionals as implementers, coached in real time by a remote BCBA. The BCBA observes behavior via video, provides coaching instructions to the implementer, and records behavioral data. This model makes function-based assessment more accessible in settings where a credentialed BCBA cannot be physically present.
ACT-based strategies can be integrated into caregiver training to address the psychological barriers — stress, avoidance, rigid rules about how things should go — that interfere with consistent implementation of behavioral procedures. Telehealth training that includes values clarification (helping caregivers connect their implementation efforts to their values as parents), acceptance strategies (reducing avoidance of difficult sessions), and defusion techniques (loosening the grip of unhelpful thoughts) may improve training adherence and fidelity. Research presented in this course explores how ACT principles improve clinical outcomes when embedded in professional and parent training contexts.
At minimum, telehealth ABA delivery requires a HIPAA-compliant video conferencing platform, adequate internet bandwidth on both ends to support stable video at sufficient resolution to observe behavior, and a device with a camera positioned to capture both the implementer and the client. Organizations should assess internet reliability at the client's home before initiating services and have contingency plans for connection failures. Secure messaging and file sharing for data, session notes, and instructional materials should also be arranged through HIPAA-compliant systems. Platform training for clients and families before the first session reduces technical disruptions.
Fidelity assessment in telehealth requires explicit fidelity checklists for each procedure being trained, administered by the coaching BCBA during observation of practice sessions. The fidelity checklist should specify each critical component of the procedure and allow the observer to record whether it was implemented correctly. Video recordings of sessions — with appropriate consent — allow for more detailed fidelity review. Regular fidelity data collection informs decisions about when to move forward in training, when to review specific components, and when to modify the training protocol. Fidelity should be assessed not only during coached practice but also during probe sessions without active coaching.
The BACB permits remote supervision via synchronous video, provided the supervisor can observe the supervisee's behavior in real time and provide feedback. Remote supervision hours count toward BCBA or BCaBA supervision requirements. The supervision must meet the same content and documentation requirements as in-person supervision. Supervisors conducting telehealth supervision should ensure they can adequately observe the supervisee's implementation and clinical reasoning, and should document the supervision activities in the same detail required for in-person supervision. State licensure requirements for supervision may impose additional constraints on telehealth supervision that vary by jurisdiction.
BCBAs must use HIPAA-compliant video platforms for all telehealth sessions. Informed consent must address the telehealth delivery format specifically, including the use of video, any recording policies, and the potential for other individuals to be present during sessions. Families should be instructed to conduct sessions in private spaces to the extent possible. BCBAs should assess the home environment for confidentiality considerations — for example, whether other family members or caregivers will be present during parent training sessions. Data collected via video observation should be stored securely with the same protections applied to other clinical records.
Generalizing telehealth-trained skills to independent implementation requires systematic fading of coaching support. This typically involves a sequence of sessions with decreasing coaching intensity — from active, continuous coaching, to intermittent coaching, to post-session feedback only, to periodic fidelity checks. Probe sessions without any coaching support, conducted periodically to assess generalized implementation, provide data on whether training effects are maintained. Caregivers and professionals should also receive explicit instruction on self-monitoring strategies so that they can evaluate and adjust their own implementation when coaching support is absent.
International telehealth delivery involves additional considerations around licensure jurisdiction, as BCBA certification requirements do not necessarily align with national licensing laws in every country. BCBAs should research the regulatory requirements in the country where the client is located before initiating services. Time zone management, translation and interpretation needs, and cultural adaptation of training materials are practical considerations for international delivery. Research on international telehealth ABA has documented effectiveness in diverse settings, but practitioners should also be attentive to contextual factors — home environment characteristics, cultural norms around parent-child interaction, and resource constraints — that may require adaptation of standard protocols.
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ on-demand CEUs including ethics, supervision, and clinical topics like this one. Plus a new live CEU every Wednesday.
Ready to go deeper? This course covers this topic with structured learning objectives and CEU credit.
Telehealth for training professionals and parents working with children with ASD in ABA — Emma Craig · 1 BACB General CEUs · $0
Take This Course →We extended these answers with research from our library — dig into the peer-reviewed studies behind the topic, in plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
252 research articles with practitioner takeaways
233 research articles with practitioner takeaways
1 BACB General CEUs · $0 · BehaviorLive
Research-backed educational guide with practice recommendations
Side-by-side comparison with clinical decision framework
You earn CEUs from a dozen different places. Upload any certificate — from here, your employer, conferences, wherever — and always know exactly where you stand. Learning, Ethics, Supervision, all handled.
No credit card required. Cancel anytime.
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.