Expanding the pyramidal staff training approach

While Behavioral Skills Training (BST) is the gold standard for staff training, its application in large organizations can be hindered by limited time and resources. Pyramidal BST addresses this by enabling human service staff to train one another efficiently. This study evaluated a pyramidal BST model for Functional Communication Training (FCT) across: a) accuracy in describing FCT, b) accuracy in implementing FCT, and c) procedural integrity by non-expert trainers. Eight support staff participated in a multiple-probe design demonstrating a functional relation between pyramidal BST and accurate FCT description. Results showed effective acquisition and implementation of FCT, with procedural integrity averaging 84.2% across four tiers. Follow-up revealed reduced accuracy among those who trained others (54.3%) but improved after training (74.2%). Those not training others had follow-up accuracies of 45.2% and 67.7%. Findings support pyramidal BST as a viable model for scalable staff-to-staff training in FCT.