Caregiver Training That Sticks: Using Behavioral Skills Training With Families

By LaKeysha Cobbs-Hayes, MA, BCBA · Last reviewed 2026-10-14 · 8 min read

Giving a parent a handout isn't training. Neither is explaining a procedure while they watch their child across the room. If you want caregivers to use a skill at home on a hard Tuesday night, they need to practice it with you first, get feedback, and practice again. That's behavioral skills training (BST), and it's one of the best-supported ways to teach adults.

What BST is

BST has four parts:

  1. Instructions. Explain what the skill is, when to use it, and why it matters, in plain language.
  2. Modeling. Show the caregiver what it looks like, in person or on video.
  3. Rehearsal. The caregiver practices the skill while you watch.
  4. Feedback. You tell them what they did well and what to adjust. Then they practice again.

Parsons, Rollyson, and Reid (2012) described these steps as the core of evidence-based staff training, and the same approach works with families. In one study, Dogan and colleagues (2017) used BST to teach four parents of children with autism to teach social skills. All four parents improved, their skills carried over to a social skill that wasn't trained, and they kept those gains at a one-month follow-up. A systematic review by Sun (2020) found BST effective across a range of studies with family caregivers of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Why handouts aren't enough

Most adults can repeat back an explanation. Far fewer can do the procedure correctly when the child is upset and dinner is burning. Instructions alone don't build the timing, wording, and physical movements a skill requires.

Rehearsal and feedback are what close that gap. They're also the steps most often skipped when time is short, which is why so much caregiver training doesn't stick.

A caregiver training session, step by step

Here's an example of teaching a parent a "first/then" transition routine.

1. Start with their goal

Ask the caregiver what's hardest right now. If bedtime is the daily battle, start there, even if it isn't first on your list. Caregivers practice what solves their real problems.

2. Give short, clear instructions

"When it's time to stop the tablet, we'll use a first/then card. Show him the card, say 'First bath, then bedtime story,' and give one warning two minutes before. If he cries, stay calm, keep the card visible, and don't give the tablet back."

Keep it to the essential steps. Write them on a single index card or a short checklist they can keep on the fridge.

3. Model it

Show them exactly what it looks like. If the child is there and it's appropriate, model it with the child. If not, model it with the parent playing the child.

4. Have them rehearse

"Now let's switch. I'll be him, and you show me the card."

Play the child realistically, including mild protest. If you play an easy, cooperative child, the parent won't be ready for the real thing.

5. Give specific feedback

Start with what they did well, then name one change.

"You held the card where he could see it and used a calm voice. That was exactly right. This time, try saying the 'then' part before he starts crying, so he hears the good part first."

6. Rehearse until they've got it

Repeat rehearsal and feedback until they can do every step correctly. Decide in advance what "correct" means, such as completing all steps correctly in two practice rounds in a row.

7. Practice in the real setting

When you can, coach the caregiver during an actual routine at home. Skills practiced in the real setting are far more likely to be used there.

8. Check back

At your next session, ask how it went and watch them do it again. Skills fade without follow-up.

Tips that make a difference

  • Teach one skill at a time. Three new procedures in one session is too many.
  • Use their words. Replace clinical terms with everyday language. "Ignore the whining" is clearer than "place the behavior on extinction."
  • Make it fit their life. A procedure that takes 15 minutes won't happen in a home with three kids and two jobs. Adjust it with them.
  • Measure their performance, not just the child's. Use a short checklist of the steps to track how accurately the caregiver uses the skill.
  • Be kind about mistakes. Caregivers often feel judged. Make it clear that practice is supposed to include mistakes.

The relationship matters too

Families who feel respected and heard are more likely to stay engaged. Taylor, LeBlanc, and Nosik (2019) argued that clinicians' compassion and collaboration with caregivers can improve treatment outcomes. BST works best when it's delivered by someone the family trusts.

Keep going with The ABA Playbook

Caregiver training is easier when you have a repeatable system.

  1. Use the playbook. Get the caregiver training playbook for a session agenda, step checklists, and feedback language you can use right away.
  2. Watch. Subscribe to The ABA Playbook on YouTube for videos on training caregivers and staff.
  3. Share what works. Join The ABA Playbook community on Skool. It's free, and it's a place for clinicians to swap caregiver training ideas and talk through difficult situations.

References

  • Dogan, R. K., King, M. L., Fischetti, A. T., Lake, C. M., Mathews, T. L., & Warzak, W. J. (2017). Parent-implemented behavioral skills training of social skills. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 50(4), 805–818. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.411
  • Parsons, M. B., Rollyson, J. H., & Reid, D. H. (2012). Evidence-based staff training: A guide for practitioners. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 5(2), 2–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03391819
  • Sun, X. (2020). Behavior skills training for family caregivers of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities: A systematic review of literature. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities. https://doi.org/10.1080/20473869.2020.1793650
  • Taylor, B. A., LeBlanc, L. A., & Nosik, M. R. (2019). Compassionate care in behavior analytic treatment: Can outcomes be enhanced by attending to relationships with caregivers? Behavior Analysis in Practice, 12(3), 654–666. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-018-00289-3

About the author

LaKeysha Cobbs-Hayes, MA, BCBA, is the founder of Key Essentials to Behavior Management and Strategic Behavior Consultants. She trains RBTs, supervisors, and clinic leaders and builds practical tools for the people doing the work.

Last reviewed October 14, 2026. The ABA Playbook is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board.