Behavior Technician Implementation of Reciprocal Imitation Teaching with Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

This single-case experimental design study examined the effects of virtual training and coaching on behavior technician implementation of a naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention focused on imitation, Reciprocal Imitation Teaching (RIT), with young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Four behavior technicians were trained and coached in RIT’s developmental and behavioral intervention strategies using bug-in-ear technology during child participants’ regularly scheduled, community-based behavior analytic services. RIT’s strategies are focused on improving reciprocal patterns of interactions between the implementer and the child, with the overall goal of increasing a child’s ability to imitate in a social context. A multiple baseline design across behavior technician-child dyads was used to examine behavior technicians’ use of RIT strategies and child imitative behavior. Increases in behavior technicians’ fidelity of RIT implementation was observed over the course of training and coaching, and some indication of behavior technicians’ ability to generalize RIT to an untrained routine with minimal additional support was observed. Two of the four behavior technician participants likely would have benefited from additional coaching support beyond what was provided in this study, to enhance their delivery of explicit teaching opportunities for child participants during RIT sessions. Child gains in imitative behavior were mild to moderate. Overall, behavior technicians expressed that RIT was feasible to implement, acceptable for use in their workplace, facilitated a positive relationship between behavior technician and child, and all behavior technician participants expressed an intention to continue implementing RIT beyond the context of this study. Practice and research implications are discussed.