The Effects of Home-Based Discrete Trial Training through Telecoaching on the Verbal Behavior Task Performance of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study aimed to examine the effects of home-based discrete trial training (DTT) delivered through telecoaching on the verbal behavior task performance of children with autism spectrum disorder and the intervention fidelity of their mothers. The participants were three dyads consisting of children with autism and their mothers, and a multiple baseline design across subjects was applied in each home setting. The intervention followed the behavior skills training (BST) procedure, in which the researcher taught mothers how to implement DTT and provided support through real-time telecoaching. The results showed that the children's verbal behavior task performance increased from an average of 15.1% during baseline to 62.9% during intervention and was maintained at 90.5% on average in the maintenance phase. Some children also demonstrated improvements during generalization, reaching an average of 80.3%. The mothers’intervention fidelity improved from a baseline average of 20.1% to 90.8% during intervention and was maintained at 99.9% during the maintenance phase. This study showed the feasibility and sustainability of home-based parent-implemented interventions.