The Impact of Training Modifications and Executive Functioning on Implementation of Complex Behavioral Treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Task interspersal is a technique within some evidence based interventions and has been demonstrated to facilitate learning in children with ASD. However, this technique can be difficult to implement, with service providers attaining as low as 67% treatment integrity in internally valid studies. The present study examines types of errors incurred, and compares two methods of staff training along with modified data collection procedures with respect to reducing implementation errors. Seventy-eight participants were trained to implement task interspersal. They each conducted three task interspersal sessions via role-playing. Measures of executive functioning were also collected. Results revealed that implementation integrity was lower for interspersal procedures than massed-trial procedures and neither role-play training nor modified data recording procedures affected overall integrity. Reported stress was related to interspersal implementation; whereas, reported difficulty was not. Executive functioning was not related to interspersal implementation. Implications for organizational decision-making when utilizing task interspersal procedures are discussed.