These answers draw in part from “Training and Consultation Models to Improve Clinic and School Staff Practices” by Daniel Wagner, BCBA (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 PDC-HS is a structured assessment tool designed to identify environmental variables contributing to employee performance problems in human services settings. It evaluates four domains: training (does the employee know how to perform the task), task clarification (are expectations clearly communicated), resources and materials (are necessary supports available), and performance consequences (do meaningful consequences exist for correct and incorrect performance). By identifying which domains are contributing to a performance deficit, the PDC-HS directs interventions to the actual cause of the problem.
An indicated intervention targets a domain that the PDC-HS identified as contributing to the performance problem. For example, if the assessment reveals a training deficit, providing training is an indicated intervention. A non-indicated intervention targets a domain that was not identified as problematic. Providing additional training when the assessment shows the employee has the skill but lacks resources is a non-indicated intervention. Research shows that indicated interventions produce better outcomes because they address the actual cause of the problem rather than applying a generic solution.
A tiered coaching model applies multi-tiered systems of support to staff performance. Tier 1 provides universal supports to all staff, such as schoolwide professional development, clear behavioral expectations, and accessible written protocols. Tier 2 provides targeted supports to staff who need additional assistance, such as enhanced feedback, brief skill-building sessions, or peer coaching. Tier 3 provides intensive, individualized coaching for staff whose performance problems persist despite lower-tier supports. This model efficiently allocates coaching resources by matching the intensity of support to individual need.
Intervening without assessment often leads to mismatched solutions. Retraining an employee whose performance problem stems from unclear protocols or inadequate resources will not resolve the issue. Similarly, adding resources will not help an employee who genuinely does not know how to perform the task. Function-based assessment ensures that the intervention targets the actual variables maintaining the performance problem, which produces more efficient and effective results. This approach mirrors the functional assessment process used in clinical behavior analysis.
When teachers and school staff implement behavioral strategies effectively, they can manage challenging behavior within the general education setting without escalating to special education referral. The tiered coaching model provided staff with the skills and support needed to implement evidence-based behavioral practices, such as function-based interventions, proactive classroom management, and early intervention for emerging behavior problems. As staff competence improved, fewer students reached the level of behavioral crisis that triggers special education referral. This preventive effect was maintained over five years.
Start by obtaining and reviewing the PDC-HS instrument and its administration manual. Practice the interview and observation components with a colleague. When you identify a performance concern with a supervisee, administer the PDC-HS before designing an intervention. Use the results to select interventions that match the identified domains. Monitor the staff member's performance after the intervention and re-administer the PDC-HS if the problem persists, as the contributing variables may have changed. Document the assessment results and intervention outcomes as part of your supervisory records.
When multiple domains contribute to a performance problem, prioritize based on which domain is most likely to produce immediate improvement and which creates a prerequisite for the others. Resource deficits should typically be addressed first because no amount of training or feedback can overcome the absence of necessary materials or time. If training and consequence domains are both indicated, address training first so the employee has the skills before adjusting reinforcement contingencies. Implement one domain's intervention at a time when possible to evaluate each intervention's contribution.
Yes. The PDC-HS can be administered for the same staff member performing different tasks in different settings, as the contributing variables may differ across contexts. A technician who implements a skill acquisition program well but struggles with behavior reduction procedures may have a training deficit specific to the latter task. A staff member who performs well in a clinic setting but poorly in a home setting may face resource or environmental barriers specific to the home context. Administering the PDC-HS separately for each setting or task provides more precise diagnostic information.
Traditional training approaches typically apply the same intervention, additional instruction or demonstration, to all performance problems regardless of their cause. Function-based coaching first assesses why the performance problem exists and then selects an intervention that matches the identified function. If training is the issue, the employee receives training. If the issue is task clarification, the employee receives improved protocols or visual supports. If the issue is consequences, the employee receives performance feedback or adjusted contingency systems. This targeted approach is more efficient and more respectful of the employee's existing competencies.
Research on the PDC-HS has demonstrated that interventions matched to the assessment's indicated domains produce better performance outcomes than non-matched interventions. Studies have shown that indicated interventions lead to faster improvement, more durable behavior change, and more efficient use of supervisory resources. The tool has been used successfully in residential facilities, clinics, schools, and other human service environments where behavior analytic professionals provide supervision. The growing evidence base supports the PDC-HS as a practical tool for data-based performance management.
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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.