Therapist characteristics predict discrete trial teaching procedural fidelity.

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Behavioral Intervention
• Special Education

Background:

• Early intensive behavioral intervention is effective for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• Variability in treatment outcomes suggests factors beyond intervention itself influence effectiveness.
• Quality of treatment delivery, potentially linked to therapist characteristics, may explain outcome variability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between therapist personality, attitudes toward disability, and the perceived therapist-child relationship.
• To determine the impact of these factors on procedural fidelity in Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) for children with intellectual disabilities.

Main Methods:

• Seventy Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) sessions were videotaped and analyzed for procedural fidelity.
• Data collected included therapist personality traits, attitudes toward individuals with disabilities, and the perceived therapist-child relationship.
• 22 therapists and 35 children with intellectual disabilities participated in the study.

Main Results:

• Procedural fidelity was generally high.
• High procedural fidelity significantly correlated with therapist's attitude toward individuals with disabilities, openness to experience, and the perceived therapist-child relationship.
• Therapists with high fidelity showed a positive cognitive attitude but negative affective attitude toward disability, lower openness, and perceived a less positive relationship with the child.

Conclusions:

• Therapist attitudes and perceived relationship quality are significant predictors of procedural fidelity in DTT.
• Specific attitudinal profiles (cognitive positive, affective negative) and relationship perceptions are associated with higher fidelity.
• Findings suggest that therapist characteristics, beyond basic personality traits, are crucial for effective intervention delivery in ASD.