title: Staff training effective in increasing learning opportunities for school-aged children with autism spectrum disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the effectiveness of instruction and video feedback on staff's ABA skills during one-to-one play situations and initiations of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected within a multiple baseline design across 5 dyads. A continuous 20 s interval recording system was used to record motivation, creating opportunities, prompting and reinforcement of staff and child initiations. Training included instruction, consisting of instructions, video examples and role-plays. After this, a 4-h delayed video feedback condition started.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three staff members created significantly more learning opportunities during post-instruction and a significant increase occurred during video feedback for one staff member. Initiatives increased significantly in two children during post-instruction. During follow-up, three children showed unprompted initiatives. The mean percentage of spontaneous initiations increased during follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings provide support for training staff in a clinical setting to create learning opportunities, which also may result in concomittant improvement in child initiations.
authors.affiliation: Research & Development Division, Dr Leo Kannerhuis, Doorwerth, The Netherlands. b.huskens@leokannerhuis.nl
authors.forename: Bibi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Huskens
authors.forename: Hilde
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Reijers
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Didden
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000523:psychology*; D003142:Communication; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D010988:Play and Playthings; D013663:Teaching