Maintaining Treatment Integrity in the Face of Crisis: A Treatment Selection Model for Transitioning Direct ABA Services to Telehealth

Abstract

With health care funders' increasing approval of telehealth service as an emergency measure to provide continuity of care during the COVID-19 crisis, practicing behavior analysts have an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate that essential, medically necessary behavior-analytic services can be provided via telehealth in a manner that maintains treatment integrity and produces meaningful client outcomes. This telehealth treatment selection guide was designed to assist practicing behavior analysts in determining an appropriate protocol for the delivery of 1:1 telehealth service (i.e., a behavior technician providing instruction directly to a client, with or without the assistance of the client's caregiver, through videoconferencing). This tool aims to help behavior analysts make thoughtful clinical decisions to maintain continuity of care for the vulnerable population with autism spectrum disorders, while adhering to safety measures that provide protection to society.