UMTSS Conference

The presentation will look at the effects of coaching using behavioral skills training (BST) outlined by Parsons, Rollyson, and Reid (2012). A case demonstration of behavioral coaching as applied with a young adult with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) enrolled in a preschool practicum course as part of the early childhood special education (ECSE) will be discussed. Coaching, using the BST model paired with observation and immediate feedback in the practicum environment, was used to systematically address the participant’s deficits, as it related to the practicum setting. Implications of how these practices can be used to improve both trainee outcomes for individuals with and without disabilities will be discussed. We will also discuss the barriers related to use of behavioral skills training and identify potential ways to mitigate such barriers. Behavioral coaching may be considered a more intensive individual support, however, we will discuss how the principles may be applied universally. This session will bridge the principles most practitioners have been exposed to for the past few decades, (e.g., Response to Intervention/Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, Applied Behavioral Analysis), and integrate them into the best practices of Positive Psychology (e.g., happiness, Flow, optimism training, etc.). The content in this session has been previously provided (via training seminars) to hundreds of educators with backgrounds in general education, special education, school psychology, school counseling, administration, and pupil transportation. The content is also valuable for classified employees such as paraprofessionals and bus attendants. In fact, one of the driving philosophies of Happy Kids is that there is an important role for everyone working with a student exhibiting aggressive or dangerous behavior. Really, this session is intended to help anyone interested in a) the reasons why children become aggressive, b) effective methods in preventing aggressive behavior, and c) explicit steps to respond to aggressive behavior.