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Social Validity Assessment of Training Methods to Improve Treatment Integrity of Special Education Service Providers

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Abstract

We report the results of a social validity assessment that was administered to special education service providers (N = 44) to document the acceptability and effectiveness ratings of several treatment integrity training methods. The participants judged performance feedback as the most likely method to improve their treatment integrity, followed by avoidance (negative reinforcement) of supervision meetings, online training, and financial incentive. Performance feedback was also rank-ordered as most effective among the four training methods. We discuss the merits of social validity assessment in designing programs for enhancing treatment integrity among practitioners within educational and clinical settings.

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Acknowledgments

This study was conducted at the May Center School for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Randolph, MA. Craig Strohmeier is currently affiliated with the Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD; Christina Mulé is currently affiliated with Tufts University Medical Center, Boston, MA.

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Correspondence to James K. Luiselli.

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Strohmeier, C., Mulé, C. & Luiselli, J.K. Social Validity Assessment of Training Methods to Improve Treatment Integrity of Special Education Service Providers. Behav Analysis Practice 7, 15–20 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-014-0004-5

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