BST Mastery Slides BST Mastery
The Consultant's Tool for Staff Training
Behavioral Consultation Series
The Implementation Gap
The Reality:
"Knowing what to do is not the same as being able to do it in a chaotic classroom."
Providing only verbal/written instructions leads to low fidelity.
One-time workshops rarely result in sustained skill acquisition.
The Solution: BST
An evidence-based package for training staff, parents, and paraprofessionals to implement interventions with precision.
The BST Framework
1. Instruction
Provide clear, behavioral descriptions of the target skill. Explain the why.
2. Modeling
Demonstrate the skill live or via video. Show both "correct" and "common errors."
3. Rehearsal
The learner practices the skill in a simulated environment until they meet criteria.
4. Feedback
Immediate descriptive praise for correct steps and corrective feedback for errors.
Effective Modeling
Steps 1 & 2
What Makes a Good Model?
Reflects the natural environment (same props, same pacing).
Learner must attend to the critical steps.
Narrate the steps as they happen.
Consultant Tip:
"Don't just show them the perfect version. Show them what to do when the student 'doesn't follow the script' or if they make a mistake themselves."
The Feedback Loop
Steps 3 & 4
Performance Feedback Rules
Descriptive Praise
"I loved how you waited for 3 seconds of silence before delivering the prompt."
Corrective Feedback
"Next time, try to keep the instruction shorter—just 'sit down' instead of the long explanation."
The Golden Rule of BST:
REHEARSE UNTIL FLUENCY.
Staff Training Protocol Worksheet Staff Training Protocol
Behavioral Skills Training (BST) Design Sheet
Consultant Name
Target Staff
Target Skill
Client Initials
Training Setting
1
Instruction
How will you describe the skill? What key behavioral steps must be defined?
2
Modeling
Describe the modeling scenario (Live vs. Video). What "common errors" will you also show?
3
Rehearsal & Mastery Criteria
Simulated Scenarios (Practice Rounds):
Definition of Mastery (e.g., 3 consecutive trials with 100% fidelity):
4
Feedback Strategy
Sample Descriptive Praise Scripts:
Sample Corrective Feedback Scripts:
Note: After mastery in simulation, plan for "In-Situ" (real-time) training where feedback is delivered during actual classroom implementation.
Consultant Simulation Guide Teacher Guide
BST Simulation Guide
Facilitating the "Card Trick" Hook and Adult Role-Play Simulations.
The "Hook" Simulation: Instructions Only
Objective: Demonstrate the inadequacy of verbal instructions for complex skills.
Setup: Split students into pairs. Provide one student (The Consultant) with a printed set of instructions for a complex card trick. The other student (The Learner) has a deck of cards.
Constraint: The Consultant cannot touch the cards, cannot show the paper, and cannot gesture. They must use words only.
Debrief Questions:
Learner: What was the most frustrating part?
Consultant: Why didn't they just do what you said? It was written right there!
Connection: How is this like a teacher reading a behavior plan for the first time?
Staff Training Simulations
Use these scenarios for students to practice the full 4-step BST model (Instruction, Modeling, Rehearsal, Feedback).
The Reluctant Paraprofessional
Target Skill: Delivering a 3-second constant time delay for a student using an AAC device.
Resistance Factor: The para thinks the student is "just being lazy" and wants to do it for them. They have 20 years of experience and "know what works."
The Overwhelmed Gen-Ed Teacher
Target Skill: Using a high-probability request sequence (High-P) before a transition.
Resistance Factor: The teacher is managing 30 other kids and thinks this plan is "too many extra steps." They are likely to forget the sequence or rush through it.
Facilitating the Peer-Feedback Loop
As students practice in small groups (Consultant, Learner, Observer), ensure the Observer uses the following prompts for the Consultant:
Step 1 & 2 Check
"Did they narrate the model clearly?"
Step 3 Check
"Did they let the learner finish the practice?"
Step 4 Check
"Was the praise specific or just 'Good job'?"
Measuring Mastery Slides Measuring Mastery
Implementation Fidelity in Practice
Behavioral Consultation Series
Why Measure Fidelity?
"If the plan isn't being followed, the behavior data is meaningless."
Ensures internal validity (did the intervention cause the change?).
Identifies drift (the slow departure from the plan over time).
Distinguishes between a Plan Failure and an Implementation Failure.
The Implementation Equation
Effective Intervention
×
Effective Training
×
High Fidelity
= Success
Methods of Measurement
Direct Observation
The "Gold Standard." A consultant watches the session live or via recorded video.
High accuracy, allows for real-time feedback.
High reactivity (Hawthorne Effect), time-intensive.
Self-Report / Permanent Product
Staff fill out a log or checklist at the end of the day or session.
Low resource, covers more time periods.
Prone to "social desirability bias" (over-reporting success).
Operationalizing Staff Behavior
Avoid vague terms like "be supportive" or "follow the plan." Use Critical Steps.
Step 1: Antecedent
"Consultant delivers SD within 3 seconds of student focus."
Step 2: Prompting
"Uses least-to-most prompt hierarchy as defined in plan."
Step 3: Consequence
"Provides social praise + token for correct independent response."
Yes / No
N/A Option
Comment Space
Fidelity Checklist Workshop Worksheet Fidelity Checklist Workshop
Drafting Module
In this workshop, you will translate a narrative behavior plan into an observable, measurable fidelity checklist.
The Behavior Plan: "Leo's Visual Schedule"
"When transitioning between centers, the teacher should first get Leo's attention by tapping the table near him. Once Leo looks up, the teacher points to his individual visual schedule and says 'Check your schedule.' If Leo doesn't move within 5 seconds, the teacher should provide a gentle nudge towards the schedule. After Leo moves the icon to the 'Finished' pocket, the teacher must provide immediate verbal praise (e.g., 'Nice job checking your schedule!') and allow him to pick a sticker for his chart."
1. Operationalize Staff Actions
Break the narrative above into discrete, observable steps for a teacher to follow.
2. Draft the Fidelity Instrument
Staff Behavior (Operationalized Step) Implemented? Yes
No
N/A
|
| |
Yes
No
N/A
|
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Yes
No
N/A
|
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Yes
No
N/A
|
Percentage Fidelity Calculation Method:
Fidelity Observation Answer Key Fidelity Observation Key
TEACHER ONLY
This key is to be used after the "Fidelity Hook" (watching a video of teacher implementation). It demonstrates how varying tool precision affects data accuracy.
Level 1: General/Subjective Rating (Low Precision)
Common results when students are asked "How well did they do?"
Student A Rating
"Good. They did most of it."
Student B Rating
"8/10. Missed the praise."
Student C Rating
"3/10. Too much talking."
Problem: High Inter-Observer Variability. Clinical decisions are impossible.
Level 2: Objective Checklist (High Precision)
The standardized answers based on the "Leo's Visual Schedule" video case study.
Operationalized Step Outcome Observation Notes 1. Obtains attention (Tap/Eye contact) YES Tapped table correctly. 2. Directs to schedule ("Check schedule") YES Used exact phrase. 3. Waits 5s for student response NO Nudged after only 2 seconds. 4. Delivers praise + sticker (within 3s) NO Delayed praise by 15s; forgot sticker.
Standardized Fidelity Score: 50% (2/4 steps correct)
Debrief Talking Points:
1. If you didn't have a checklist, how much did your personal bias (liking the teacher/pity) affect the score?
2. Which specific step is the most critical for the behavior to change? (Likely the reinforcement).
3. How would you give feedback to this teacher using the 4-step BST model based on this 50% score?
Resistance Roadmaps Slides Resistance Roadmaps
Navigating the Human Side of Consultation
Behavioral Consultation Series
The Ghost in the Machine
"A perfect plan on paper is worthless if no one wants to run it."
Most implementation failures are not due to lack of skill, but due to lack of contextual fit and poor consultant rapport.
Sources of Resistance:
Response Effort too high
Counter-Intuitive logic
Perceived loss of autonomy
"We've tried that before"
Contextual Fit: The Essential Filter
Does the plan match the culture and capacity of the environment?
Values
Does the plan align with the teacher's philosophy of education and discipline?
Resources
Does the classroom have the physical space, staffing, and time to execute the steps?
Staff Skills
Is the training provided enough to make implementation easy, not just possible?
Leveraging OBM Principles
Change the System
1
Antecedent Intervention
Checklists, visual reminders for staff, and simplify the plan (Reduce Response Effort).
2
Reinforcement for Staff
Public recognition, sharing student success data, and reducing other clerical burdens.
"Behavior is a function of its environment."
This applies to the teacher as much as the student. If the teacher isn't doing the plan, look at the teacher's environment.
Consultation Role Play Scenarios Worksheet Consultation Simulation Scenarios
Topic: Navigating Difficult Conversations & Contextual Fit
Scenario A
The "Too Busy" Gen-Ed Teacher
"Look, I have 28 other students, three of whom are on IEPs, and I'm being observed by the principal next week. I cannot sit here and do a 5-minute data log every hour. It's just not going to happen. Can't we just do what we did last year?"
Consultant Strategy
How do you validate the teacher's stress while maintaining implementation needs?
Contextual Fit Fix
How could you modify the *method* (not the goal) to fit their schedule?
Scenario B
The "Philosophy Mismatch" Specialist
"I don't believe in using 'bribes' or tokens. Children should do the right thing because it's the right thing to do. If I start giving him stickers for sitting down, it's just teaching him to be a mercenary. I'm not comfortable running this token economy."
Consultant Strategy
How do you explain the science of reinforcement without being patronizing?
Collaboration Goal
Is there a "Middle Ground" or an alternative reinforcer that feels less like a "bribe"?
Role Play Instructions (Triads)
1. Person A (Consultant): Practice "Reflective Listening" before offering a solution.
2. Person B (Teacher): Lean into the resistance—don't make it easy for the consultant.
3. Person C (Observer): Use the "Consultant Rapport Checklist" to score the interaction.
Contextual Fit Checklist Worksheet Contextual Fit Checklist
Pre-Implementation Environmental Scan
Before finalizing a behavior plan, the consultant must score the following items. A "No" on any item indicates a significant risk of implementation failure.
Domain 1: Staff Knowledge & Skills
Does the staff possess the technical skills required to implement the plan?
Yes
No
Is the staff fluent in the data collection methods proposed?
Yes
No
Domain 2: Resources & Capacity
Are all physical materials (tokens, timers, visuals) readily available in the classroom?
Yes
No
Is the staffing ratio sufficient to implement the plan during high-stress times?
Yes
No
Domain 3: Values & Administrative Support
Does the principal/admin support the use of these specific strategies?
Yes
No
Does the plan align with the overall school-wide behavior system (PBIS)?
Yes
No
Implementation Risk Assessment
If any "No" answers were checked above, what is the plan to address this gap before implementation begins?
Sustainability Slides Sustainability
Beyond the Initial Success
Behavioral Consultation Series
The "Train and Hope" Trap
Why Behavior Change Fails Over Time:
Clinicians often assume that once a skill is learned in one room, with one teacher, it will automatically transfer to every other part of the student's life.
Generalization must be programmed, not expected.
The "Success Story" Relapse
Case Study Hook: A student masters self-regulation in the resource room but continues to have outbursts in PE and on the bus. Why?
Stimulus Control
Loose Training
Stokes & Baer (1977) Revisited
1. Multiple Exemplars
Train with different teachers, in different classrooms, and using different types of materials.
2. Common Stimuli
Bring elements from the training setting into the natural setting (e.g., the same visual aid or timer).
3. Indiscriminable Contingencies
Use variable reinforcement schedules so the student can't predict when the "payoff" is coming.
The Exit Strategy
Fading & Maintenance
Thinning Reinforcement
Gradually move from a Continuous Schedule (FR1) to a Variable Schedule (VR) to match the natural community of reinforcement.
Transitioning Fidelity
The consultant moves from Active Coach to Distant Monitor. Fidelity checks move from daily to weekly to monthly check-ins.
Generalization Planner Worksheet Generalization Planner
Sustainability Design Sheet
1
Multiple Exemplars
Who else will run the plan?
In which other settings/times?
2
Natural Communities of Reinforcement
How will you transition from "artificial" rewards (stickers/candy) to "natural" rewards (peer attention/autonomy)?
3
Schedule Thinning Plan
Phase Schedule (e.g., FR1, VR3) Mastery to Advance Acquisition FR1 (Continuous) Initial Mastery Intermediate Maintenance
The "Year After" Test
Imagine this student moves to the next grade level with a teacher who has zero behavioral training. Which single part of your plan is most likely to survive? How can you strengthen it now?
Implementation Capstone Rubric Capstone Rubric
Staff Training & Fidelity Monitoring System
GRADUATE LEVEL
Students will be evaluated on their ability to design a comprehensive implementation system for a single behavioral intervention. This system must bridge the gap between "design" and "execution."
Criterion Proficient (Target) Developing BST Protocol Detailed scripts for all 4 steps. Modeling covers errors. Mastery criteria are observable. Missing steps (e.g., no feedback script). Vague rehearsal instructions. Fidelity Measurement Operationalized checklist with >5 discrete staff steps. Direct observation method defined. Checklist contains subjective language (e.g., "be nice"). Indirect measures only. Decision Rules Clear "If/Then" rules for fading, modifying, and retraining based on data intersection. Vague rules (e.g., "Change plan if it doesn't work"). No link to fidelity. Sustainability Specific plan for multiple exemplars and schedule thinning. Exit strategy defined. No plan for generalization. Assumes "Train and Hope" model.
Pass (Mastery)
"Ready to lead a consultation team."
Incomplete
"Requires 1:1 supervision on implementation."
Weighted Score
/ 100
Clinical Competency Check: This rubric aligns with the BACB Supervisor Training curriculum and national behavioral consultation standards.
