Effects of Behavioral Skills Training on Board Certified Behavior Analysts Implementation of Trial-Based Functional...

Trial-based functional analyses are a valid way of identifying behavioral function and may enhance approachability of experimental functional analysis technologies because they can be embedded into ongoing routines. This study evaluated effects of behavioral skills training on Board Certified Behavior Analysts' implementation of trial-based functional analyses in training and clinical contexts. Participants demonstrated high procedural fidelity of implementation in training and clinical contexts, but two of three participants required additional coaching in the clinical context. • Trial-based functional analyses offer flexible experimental functional analysis protocol options for Board Certified Behavior Analysts in clinical practice. • Center-based Board Certified Behavior Analysts who had never used trial-based functional analysis procedures in clinical practice were taught to implement trial-based functional analysis conditions. • The trial-based functional analysis behavioral skills training protocol aimed to mimic nuanced, real-world client conditions in role play. • This behavioral skills training protocol effectively trained Board Certified Behavior Analysts to implement trial-based functional analysis conditions but did not prepare them to independently conduct a trial-based functional analysis with a client, which involves additional unassessed components (e.g., designing protocols, graphing data).

The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-025-01125-1.