Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Human Movement Studies & Special Education

Committee Director

Dr. Laura C. Chezan

Committee Member

Dr. Jonna Bobzien

Committee Member

Dr. Meka N. McCammon

Abstract

My first purpose of this study was to determine if an intervention package of Behavior Skills Training (BST) and eCoaching was effective in increasing and maintaining paraeducator implementation fidelity when implementing Functional Communication Training (FCT) with students with multiple disabilities. Second, I sought to measure the effectiveness of FCT on three students’ challenging behavior and a functional communicative response (FCR). Third, I collected information from paraeducators and teachers about the perceptions of the training methods and FCT for practical usage in the classroom. I used a multiple-probe research design across three paraeducator and student dyads and demonstrated that the intervention package was effective in increasing and maintaining paraeducator implementation of FCT. Additionally, following FCT, the students decreased their challenging behavior and increased their FCR usage. Finally, the training methods and FCT were perceived as effective, acceptable, and feasible in the classroom setting. Implications for the applied use of this study for the school setting and for future research were proposed.

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In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

DOI

https://doi.org/10.25777/p2x4-mw78

ISBN

9798197810106

ORCID

0009-0005-1389-8088

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