Research Units in Behavioral Intervention (RUBI) Parent Teaching Program

The RUBI Parent Training Program (Bearss, et al. 2007) is an evidence-based treatment that was designed to decrease disruptive behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. At Touchstone, the BAS department has enhanced this program to be applicable to individuals across ages and developmental disabilities, as well as to providers such as Caregivers in group home settings, behavior coaches, and Respite or Habilitation providers. Our implementation of the RUBI Parent Training program has led to a 34% reduction of stress scales provided by participants before and after completion of the program.

The RUBI Program is a 7-week program that teaches caregivers how to identify target problem behavior and utilize the principles and techniques of ABA to replace them with functional alternatives. Sessions occur 3-4 times per week and are split between “Core” sessions and “Coach” sessions.

Core Sessions

Core sessions are 2-hour sessions with the caregiver and behavior technician only. The member is not present for Core sessions.

Core sessions cover content and can include videos, data recording, worksheets, and homework assignment review. The Core content that you receive is based upon the initial assessment and can include topics such as:

  • Behavior Principles

  • Prevention Strategies

  • Daily Schedules

  • Reinforcement Strategies

  • Functional Communication

  • Teaching Skills

  • And more!

Coach Sessions

Coaching sessions are scheduled for a minimum of 1 hour and can be as long as 2 hours, totaling 4 hours per week. Each visit focuses on the strategies learned during that week’s Core session as well as data collection on the implementation of previously reviewed strategies. Coaching sessions provide caregivers with the opportunity for the behavior technician to observe interactions between caregivers and the member and provide in-vivo support and feedback regarding the strategies outlined on the Behavior Support Plan.

Behavior Support Plan (BSP)

Through the 7-week program, the caregiver and behavior technician create a BSP that includes all the strategies that were learned each week, when and how to utilize those strategies, and specific examples of how these were implemented over the past 7 weeks to serve as a reminder following the completion of the program. Each BSP is individualized based on the member’s behaviors, their environment, and the function of their challenging behavior.

Link to RUBI Autism Network:

https://www.rubinetwork.org/