The Busy BCBA®'s Guide to Making BST Fast, Fun, and Effective

Are You Drowning in Training Demands?

If you feel overwhelmed trying to onboard new RBTs®, engage parents in training, and manage a never-ending to-do list, you're not alone. The constant pressure to provide effective training while juggling supervision, programming, and administrative tasks can feel impossible. You know Behavioral Skills Training (BST) is the gold standard for teaching new skills—but who has time for full didactic training every single time?

You may have tried:

• Providing in-the-moment feedback during supervision

• Demonstrating techniques quickly between sessions

• Sending handouts or videos, hoping the information sticks

Yet, despite your efforts, you find yourself repeating the same concepts over and over. Staff and parents struggle to apply what you teach, leading to poor outcomes, wasted time, and frustration. But what if there was a way to streamline BST, making it more efficient while keeping it evidence-based?

Key Takeaways

• BST is a highly effective, evidence-based training model, but implementation challenges like time constraints and learner variability can reduce its effectiveness.

• Integrating instructional design principles can make BST more engaging and easier to implement.

• Personalized Systems of Instruction (PSI) streamline training and ensure learners acquire skills at their own pace.

• A well-organized BST training library saves time, improves consistency, and enhances learner outcomes.

The Solution: Making BST Work for Busy BCBAs®

Imagine having a library of engaging, on-demand training modules tailored to meet the needs of your staff and families. Your RBTs get the structured training they need, parents feel empowered to support their children, and you finally have time to focus on higher-level clinical responsibilities. You can move beyond inefficient training methods and create a streamlined system that ensures every learner receives effective, consistent training that sticks.

This isn’t just a dream—it’s completely achievable with the right approach to BST and instructional design. Let's explore how you can make BST faster, easier, and more effective.

What is Behavioral Skills Training (BST)?

BST is a widely researched, evidence-based model for teaching skills using four key steps:

1. Instruction – Provide clear, concise explanations of the skill and its importance. Research shows that structured instruction lays the foundation for skill acquisition and long-term retention.

2. Modeling – Demonstrate the correct way to perform the skill. Studies show that providing clear demonstrations helps learners understand and retain new information more effectively (Sherman, Richardson, & Bandura, 2021).

3. Rehearsal – Give the learner opportunities to practice the skill. Kirkpatrick et al. (2019) emphasized that repeated practice improves skill acquisition and long-term retention, making training more effective over time.

4. Feedback – Provide immediate, specific feedback to refine performance. Without feedback, learners struggle to correct mistakes and refine their techniques, leading to inconsistent implementation and poor client outcomes.

Research by Hogan et al. (2015) found that school staff trained using BST implemented behavior intervention plans with greater accuracy than those trained using traditional methods. While BST is highly effective, implementing it in real-world settings presents challenges. Time constraints, varying learner skill levels, and lack of engaging training materials make consistent BST implementation difficult. The solution? Integrating instructional design principles to enhance BST delivery, ensuring training is both engaging and impactful.

Using Instructional Design to Improve BST

Instructional design focuses on how adults learn best, incorporating three core principles:

1. Relevance – Adults engage more when training directly addresses their real-world challenges. Research shows that when training content is meaningful, learners retain it better (Hogan et al., 2015).

2. Active Engagement – Passive learning doesn’t work; adults need opportunities to interact with the material. Kirkpatrick et al. (2019) found that hands-on learning strategies improve skill acquisition significantly and help learners apply new skills in practical settings.

3. Building on Experience – Effective training connects new information to what learners already know, helping them apply skills more effectively (Sherman et al., 2021). When training builds on prior knowledge, learners absorb and retain new material with greater success.

So how do we merge BST with instructional design to create effective training? Through Personalized Systems of Instruction (PSI).

How PSI Makes BST Faster and More Effective

PSI is a self-paced instructional method that allows learners to move through training at their own speed, ensuring mastery before advancing. PSI modules can include:

• Interactive video demonstrations to enhance modeling and make training more engaging.

• Scenario-based quizzes with immediate feedback to reinforce rehearsal and provide corrective guidance.

• Gamification elements to keep learners motivated, ensuring they stay engaged throughout the training process.

For example, a PSI module on reinforcement might include:

1. Step-by-step video examples of different reinforcement strategies in action.

2. A quiz with real-life scenarios to test application and promote problem-solving skills.

3. Immediate feedback reinforcing correct responses and guiding corrections for any mistakes.

Using PSI, you create reusable training modules that:

• Save time by reducing the need for repeated in-person training, making onboarding more efficient.

• Ensure consistent, high-quality instruction across all learners, minimizing variability in training effectiveness.

• Allow learners to practice at their own pace, leading to better skill acquisition and confidence in applying new techniques.

This video shows an example of a PSI designed to teach the verbal operants. It's a great resource for RBTs®, parents and staff who are pursuing BCBA® certification.

Want FREE access to this PSI and 3 others, along with a wealth of other resources? We GIVE them to you with the purchase of our CEU course: The Busy BCBA’s® Guide: Evidence-Based Strategies to Make BST Fast and Fun. In this course, I teach you to create and customize your own trainings so you can continue to expand your library!

Building Your Own BST Training Library

A well-organized training library transforms your approach to staff and parent education. Here’s how to start:

1. Identify Your Most Needed Trainings

Consider the skills you teach most often, such as:

• Reinforcement strategies and how to apply them effectively

• Functional communication training to support clients with limited verbal abilities

• Strategies for managing challenging behaviors in various settings

2. Organize by Audience and Topic

Create folders for Parents, RBTs, Teachers, and Other Professionals. Within each, categorize by topics like Reinforcement Basics, Functional Communication, and Data Collection.

3. Create Reusable Modules

Develop interactive, self-paced modules that can be repurposed across different learners. Use:

• Video demonstrations to show proper implementation of techniques

• Knowledge-check quizzes to ensure learners grasp key concepts

• Downloadable resources (cheat sheets, guides, etc.) for ongoing reference

4. Store and Deliver Digitally

Use Google Drive, Dropbox, or an LMS to keep your training materials accessible and organized. Easy access ensures training is available when needed, improving efficiency and effectiveness.

Overcoming Common Barriers to Effective Training

Barrier: Lack of Time

Solution: Start small. Focus on creating one high-priority module at a time. Even a single well-designed training module can dramatically improve skill acquisition and implementation.

Barrier: Resistance from Staff or Parents

Solution: Build buy-in by explaining the personal benefits of training and making it engaging. When learners see how training will improve their work or interactions with clients, they become more invested.

Barrier: Inconsistent Implementation

Solution: Follow up with supervision and coaching to reinforce skills and provide ongoing feedback. Consistent application ensures that training is effective and that staff and parents feel confident in their abilities.

Ready to Transform Your Training Approach?

The good news is you don’t have to figure this out alone. The Busy BCBA’s® Guide: Evidence-Based Strategies to Make BST Fast and Fun CEU course walks you through every step of the process, showing you exactly how to:

• Streamline BST using PSI and other research-based strategies

• Create engaging, on-demand training modules to maximize learning outcomes

• Develop a scalable training library that saves you time and energy while ensuring high-quality instruction

Join the course today and start transforming the way you train staff and parents. Click here to enroll now!

References

Erath, T. G., DiGennaro Reed, F. D., & Blackman, A. L. (2021). Training human service staff to implement behavioral skills training using a video‐based intervention. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 54(3), 1251-1264. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.827

Flowers, Jaime; Cuitareo, Jessica; and Dawes, Jillian PhD. (2023) "Behavioral Skill Training: A Single-Case Meta-Analysis," Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice: Vol. 9: Iss. 2, Article 4. Available at: https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/jhstrp/vol9/iss2/4

Grady, Krystal, "Designing and developing online instruction for the adult learner : learning theories, motivational models, and e-tivities" (2010). Graduate Research Papers. 171. https://scholarworks.uni.edu/grp/171

Henfield, Takeisha, "Meeting the needs of the adult learner in the instructional design environment" (2007). Graduate Research Papers. 823. https://scholarworks.uni.edu/grp/823

Hogan, A., Knez, N., & Kahng, S. (2015). Evaluating the use of behavioral skills training to improve school staffs’ implementation of behavior intervention plans. Journal of Behavioral Education, 24, 242-254.

Kirkpatrick, M., Akers, J., & Rivera, G. (2019). Use of behavioral skills training with teachers: A systematic review. Journal of Behavioral Education, 28, 344-361.

Palis, A. G., & Quiros, P. A. (2014). Adult learning principles and presentation pearls. Middle East African journal of ophthalmology, 21(2), 114–122. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-9233.129748

Sarokoff, R. A., & Sturmey, P. (2004). The effects of behavioral skills training on staff implementation of discrete‐trial teaching. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 37(4), 535-538.

Schaefer, J. M., & Andzik, N. R. (2021). Evaluating Behavioral Skills Training as an Evidence-Based Practice When Training Parents to Intervene with Their Children. Behavior Modification, 45(6), 887-910. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145445520923996

Sherman, J., Richardson, J., & Vedora, J. (2021). The use of behavioral skills training to teach components of Direct Instruction. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 14(4), 1085-1091.

Wilson, M. (June, 2018). Online instructional design in the new world: Beyond Gagné, Briggs and Wager. Paper presented at Adult Education Research Conference, Victoria, B.C., Canada.