For Canadian practices outside Quebec
Behavior skills training for ABA technicians: how a clinic runs it and keeps the records
Behavior skills training (BST) is a four-part teaching method: instruction, modeling, rehearsal and feedback. This guide shows how an ABA clinic can use it to train new behavior technicians (spelled “behaviour skills training” in Canada) on data collection, session notes and parent coaching, and how to keep a simple competency record for each person. It uses a fictional worked example and a checklist you can adapt.
General operating guidance with fictional examples. It is not clinical, legal or regulatory advice. Your supervisors’ regulator, your funders and your clinic policy decide who may train, supervise and sign off staff.
Last updated: 2026-10-26
By the TherapyCRM team at Data Inn Inc.
Fictional worked example.
What behavior skills training is
BST teaches a skill by doing it, not by describing it. A trainer works through four components in order, and repeats the last two until the trainee meets a written criterion.
Swipe or scroll sideways to view all table columns.
| Component | What the trainer does | What the trainee does |
|---|---|---|
| Instruction | Explains the skill and why it matters, using a written, step-by-step description | Reads it and asks questions |
| Modeling | Demonstrates the skill, live or on video, with a fictional or role-played learner | Watches and follows the steps |
| Rehearsal | Sets up a practice scenario and watches | Performs the skill in role play |
| Feedback | Names what was done correctly and what to change, right away | Adjusts and practises again |
Rehearsal and feedback repeat until the trainee meets your written criterion.
Where a clinic uses it
BST is a general method, so one training routine can cover several skills. Most clinics start with the three that new technicians meet first.
- Data collection: trial-by-trial recording, prompt levels, frequency and duration counts.
- Session notes: turning observations into a factual, attributable note.
- Parent coaching: showing a caregiver a strategy and giving supportive feedback.
- Safety and procedures: clinic routines that must be done the same way each time.
Worked example: training a technician on a prompt-level data sheet
Everything here is fictional. A supervisor, Dana, trains a new technician, Sam, to record a discrete-trial program on a prompt-level data sheet.
- Instruction: Dana gives Sam a one-page task analysis. It lists the prompt codes the clinic uses (for example independent, gesture, model), how to score each trial and when to record a no-response.
- Modeling: Dana runs ten fictional trials with a colleague playing the learner, scoring aloud so Sam hears each decision.
- Rehearsal: Sam scores ten trials from a recorded role play while Dana scores the same trials separately.
- Feedback: Dana compares the two sheets trial by trial, praises the matches and explains each mismatch, such as scoring a gesture prompt as independent.
- Repeat: Sam rehearses again with a new set of trials until two sets in a row meet the written criterion, for example full agreement on prompt codes.
- Then in the real setting: Sam records live trials while Dana observes and compares sheets, before Sam records alone.
A competency checklist you can adapt
Write the criterion before training starts, so that sign-off is a decision about evidence rather than a feeling. Set the numbers with your supervising clinician; this guide gives none.
Swipe or scroll sideways to view all table columns.
| Skill | Observable criterion | Where it is checked |
|---|---|---|
| Prompt-level data | Prompt codes match the supervisor’s sheet on consecutive practice sets | Role play, then live session |
| Trial recording | Every trial has a response and a prompt level, with no blanks | Live session review |
| Objective language | Behaviour described by what could be seen or heard | Written note sample |
| Parent coaching | Explains the strategy, shows it, then gives feedback to the caregiver | Observed role play, then a real session |
| Privacy habits | Uses fictional examples in group training; no client details in chat | Spot check |
Adjust the criteria to your funders, your regulators and your own policy.
Coaching parents with the same four steps
BST also works when the learner is a caregiver. Keep the same order and keep the tone collaborative.
- Instruction: describe the strategy in plain words and agree the goal with the family.
- Modeling: show the strategy with the child or with a role-played scenario.
- Rehearsal: invite the parent to try it while you watch.
- Feedback: start with what went well, then offer one change at a time.
- Record: note what was practised and who attended, and attribute any statements to the person who made them.
Keep the training records
A training record shows who was taught what, when, and how you decided they were ready. Keep one per technician.
- Skill and date of each BST session.
- Trainer name and role.
- Criterion used and the practice results against it.
- Date of sign-off, and who gave it.
- Follow-up checks and their dates.
- Where hours of supervision fall under a regulator or funder rule, store the supervision log with it.
How TherapyCRM supports the live-session step
BST happens before and beside real sessions. Once a technician is signed off, the software is where the work lands.
- Session Runner records trial observations, including prompt levels, against the treatment plan’s goals.
- Notes follow a review path, so a supervisor can read what a trainee wrote and return it for changes.
- TherapyCRM does not run training, score competency or decide who is ready; supervisors do.
TherapyCRM serves English-language practices in Canada outside Quebec. It is practice management software with a clinical record, not a physician EMR, and has no EMR certification. It has no telehealth or video visits and does not submit insurance or government claims, including Ontario Autism Program claims.
A simple rollout for the first month
Start small and write things down.
- Pick one skill, such as prompt-level data, and write its task analysis on one page.
- Write the sign-off criterion before the first training session.
- Run all four BST components with a colleague or trainer playing the learner.
- Observe the first live sessions and compare data with the technician.
- Record the result and set a follow-up check date.
- Repeat for session notes, then parent coaching.
Frequently asked questions
What is behavior skills training?
Behavior skills training is a teaching method with four components: instruction, modeling, rehearsal and feedback. The trainee practises until they meet a written criterion.
What are the four components of BST?
Instruction explains the skill, modeling demonstrates it, rehearsal lets the trainee practise it, and feedback tells them what to keep and change. Rehearsal and feedback repeat.
Is it behavior skills training or behaviour skills training?
Both. “Behavior” is the US spelling and “behaviour” the Canadian one. The method is the same.
How many practice sessions does a technician need?
There is no fixed number. Set a written criterion with your supervising clinician and continue until the trainee meets it on consecutive practice sets.
Can BST be used to teach parent coaching?
Yes. The same four steps apply when the learner is a caregiver. Keep feedback supportive and record what was practised.
What should a BST training record include?
The skill, date, trainer, criterion, practice results, sign-off date and follow-up checks. Fictional examples keep client details out of group training.
Does TherapyCRM deliver or score BST?
No. Supervisors train and decide readiness. TherapyCRM records session data and notes once staff are working with clients.