Information

Here is a takeaway and checklist to help you plan and implement a BST intervention.
Behavioural Skills Training (BST) is a five-step process that can be used to teach a variety of skills to learners of all ages, regardless of ability levels. The most appropriate skills for BST are:

• Skills that require specific explanations (e.g., Asking for help)
• Skills that can manifest in different ways (e.g., Starting a conversation)
• Skills that involve other people (e.g., Respecting the personal space of others)

Learning Objectives
After working through this section, you will be able to:

• List and explain the five steps of BST;
• Plan a BST intervention by following the proposed steps;
• Implement a BST intervention or support the person designated to implement the intervention;
• Track learner progress and assess skills maintenance;
• Make decisions according to the scenarios proposed.

Behavioural Skills Training (BST)
BST is an evidence-based approach that is often used in companies or organizations to train staff who need to demonstrate specific skills on the job (Parsons & Rollyson, 2013). It is also an approach that can be used to teach a particular skill to a school or preschool child.

For many years, researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of BST. The approach not only aims to explain the skill to the learner, but also allows them to see an example of the skill they are seeking to develop and practice using it while receiving immediate feedback. It also allows adults to confirm that the learner is really able to demonstrate the skill in different environments.

Prerequisite Skills for BST
To ensure the success of BST, it is important to check that the learner has mastered the skills that are prerequisite to the targeted skill. For example, if the targeted skill is Walking on the sidewalk, the team must first ensure that the learner is able to Walk close to the adult and Follow instructions (e.g., “Stay close to me.”) It is possible to validate the mastery of these skills during the assessment, but sometimes it will be necessary to teach other skills needed for the success of the intervention and the safety of the learner.

Before starting BST, it is important to make sure that the learner has mastered the following specific skills:

• Understanding and following verbal instructions. The learner must be able to understand and follow the instructions given by the adult. The adult can facilitate the understanding of instructions by adjusting their complexity and level of language according to the learner’s needs. Note that receptive language skills are much more important here than expressive language skills. In other words, even a learner who has difficulty expressing themselves, or uses an alternative or adapted communication system, can benefit from BST if they are able to understand and follow the instructions.
• Paying attention to a model during a modelling activity. One of the key steps in BST involves skill modelling on the part of the adult. The learner should be able to pay attention to the model from start to finish of the modelling exercise. It may be useful to do a test with the learner to evaluate their attention skills and to be able to adjust the duration of the modelling activity if needed.
• Imitating the action of a person. Another key step in the process involves the learner’s imitation of the model. The learner must be able to reproduce the actions, gestures, or even the words of another person.

The Five Steps of BST
BST has 5 steps which are presented here in the order in which they are usually performed with the learner. Note, however, that BST is not always a linear process. For example, after completing steps 3 and 4, you may find it necessary to go back to step 1. This will depend on the learner you are working with and their progress. Click on the following tabs to learn more about each step.

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Examples of Skills that Can Be Taught Using BST
BST applies to various domains and skills of the CALI – Functional Skills for Independence. The table below provides examples of skills that lend themselves to BST.



BST and Social Skills
Research has shown that Behavioural Skills Training is an effective practice for teaching many social skills, such as those shown in the table above.

However, it is necessary to ensure that:

The intervention is carried out with high intensity.
Bellini and Coll (2007) recommend that school staff seek opportunities to teach and strengthen social skills as often as possible during the day, not just during teaching sessions. A one-time, scheduled intervention will not be enough for learners to learn the social skills necessary for interactions with peers and adults.

The intervention is carried out in the natural environment.
An intervention implemented in unusual and planned contexts is less effective and produces less generalization. At the start of the learning process, it is sometimes good to conduct the teaching sessions in a calm and distraction-free environment, but then learners should be able to practice the skills in real-life situations.

The intervention promotes the generalization of skills in different settings and with different people.
Plan the teaching sessions to take place in a variety of contexts, providing the learner with different examples from different people.