Análise da eficácia de um treinamento computadorizado para ensinar profissionais a implementarem tentativas discretas em crianças com TEA

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of computerized training for new instructors to implement discrete-trial teaching. Participants were three individuals, ages 20 to 30, newly hired at a behavioral intervention clinic and with no prior experience in ABA or teaching children with autism. The procedure included a baseline phase, where participants read a descriptive 11-step DTT protocol and then completed an initial application with a confederate. The intervention consisted of two phases: in the first, participants accessed an online training platform (Google Forms), where they watched videos simulating the application of DTT and answered questions about application accuracy. In the second phase, they administered an auditory-visual discrimination program with a confederate acting as a child with ASD. After the intervention, participants administered the same program to a real child with ASD, in addition to administering a program for a skill not previously trained by the participants, verifying its generalizability and following the same protocol as the intervention phase. After 15 days, a follow-up session was conducted to verify that the application maintained a high level of integrity. This study aims to contribute to the less costly training of ABA practitioners, emphasizing the importance of structured, low-cost, and easy-to-apply training for the practical and effective application of discrete-trial teaching with children with autism. The results indicated that after training, all participants performed well on the DTT, that the results could be extended to an untrained skill, and that the integrity was maintained when administered to a person with ASD. The main limitations were the inability to determine whether the results were maintained for a period longer than 30 days and whether the repertoire acquisition was effective in a person who was in the process of learning the skills trained by the participants