Treinamento de pessoas no desenvolvimento de habilidades de intervenção analítico-comportamental ao TEA

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent deficits in communication and social interaction, alongside repetitive and restricted patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. The refinement of diagnostic tools for ASD has led to a rise in the prevalence of cases, creating a growing demand for qualified professionals to support this population. However, the supply of trained professionals has not kept pace with demand, resulting in inadequate access to quality care. There is a pressing need to assess the effectiveness of various training methods (both in-person and remote) for professionals and family members who work with individuals on the spectrum. A key first step is to identify the diverse training formats that have been utilized. Subsequently, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of these methods and the specific skills they aim to teach. This doctoral dissertation aimed to map the different training procedures that have been empirically researched for teaching professionals and parents to implement Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)-based interventions for individuals diagnosed with ASD (Study 1). Additionally, an experimental study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of a remote training model, Interactive Computer Training (ICT), specifically for teaching Descriptive Functional Assessment—a skill that is relatively underexplored in remote training (Study 2). Study 1 systematically reviewed literature on training methods for professionals and caregivers to apply behavior-analytic interventions for ASD. The findings indicated that all modalities analyzed—such as in-person, hybrid, remote, and manual-based training—were effective in teaching evidence-based ABA procedures. However, remote and manualbased training formats demonstrated the best outcomes, with remote technologies showing the highest efficiency. While Study 1 found that both manual and ICT-based training models are effective, it highlighted the need for further research to explore additional repertoires relevant to clinical behavior analysis in ASD. Therefore, Study 2 expanded the investigation by focusing on ICT's effectiveness in teaching the Descriptive Functional Analysis repertoire. Participants included four undergraduate psychology students and one dental professional. The data indicated that ICT was effective in teaching the target repertoire, with all participants meeting the learning criterion by the end of the study. Two participants required additional feedback to reach the criterion. These findings reinforce previous research, suggesting that ICT-based training is effective, but that professional supervision from a behavior analyst remains essential to ensure proper assessment and support during training.