Training Supervisors to Provide Feedback Using Video Modeling

Supervisors commonly use feedback to teach staff members to accurately implement behavioral interventions. However, few studies have evaluated methods to teach supervisors to provide effective feedback. In the current study, we used a multiple-baseline design to evaluate the use of video modeling to train four supervisors to provide performance feedback to therapists working with children with autism. We assessed the supervisors' accuracy with implementing eight feedback component skills (e.g., behavior-specific praise, describing incorrect performance, demonstrating correct performance) during simulated role-plays before and after the video-modeling intervention. Following the intervention, we assessed the extent to which the supervisors' skills generalized when providing feedback on a confederate therapist's implementation of novel behavioral protocols and an actual therapist's implementation of protocols with a child with autism. Results showed that all supervisors implemented the feedback component-skills with increased accuracy following the video-modeling intervention. Additionally, supervisors' skills generalized to providing feedback on novel protocols and to an actual therapist. These results suggest that video modeling may be an effective method of training supervisors to provide performance feedback.