Supporting Your Child with PFA and SBT Training
Our Lead SITs Complete Advanced Training in Compassionate ABA
At bitKIDS, we want every child to feel safe, understood, and supported as they learn. One of the most important ways we do this is through ongoing training for our team, ensuring that the strategies used in your child’s program are up-to-date, research-based, and truly compassionate.
We’re proud to share that both of our Lead Supervised Instructor Therapists,
Meghan McCoy and Jenna Armstrong, have recently completed advanced training through FTF Behavioral Consulting:
“A Training on Practical Functional Assessment (PFA) and Skill-Based Treatment (SBT) for Behavior Technicians.”
This training is widely respected for helping behaviour technicians understand challenging behaviour in a gentle, supportive way and for teaching meaningful skills that make daily life easier for children and families.
What Are PFA and SBT — and Why Does This Matter for Your Child?
Children communicate through behaviour — especially when they’re overwhelmed, unsure how to ask for help, or facing a change in routine.
Practical Functional Assessment (PFA) helps us understand why challenging behaviour happens without creating stress for the child.
Skill-Based Treatment (SBT) then focuses on teaching new, lifelong skills such as:
- Asking for help
- Coping with “no” or unexpected changes
- Waiting calmly
- Sharing and taking turns
- Communicating clearly
These skills help your child feel more independent, both in therapy and beyond.
What Our LSITs Gained from This Training
Through this course, both Meghan and Jenna learned practical, child-centered tools that immediately strengthen the support we provide at bitKIDS:
1. Gentle, safe assessment strategies
They learned how to understand a child’s needs using calm, supportive methods.
2. Enhanced rapport-building skills
A strong connection with each child helps create a positive, trusting learning environment.
3. Teaching meaningful communication and coping skills
The training focuses not on reducing behaviour, but on replacing it with skills children can use throughout their lives.
4. Helping skills transfer to real-life situations
Home, school, community — the goal is for progress to show up everywhere.
5. Stronger collaboration with families
The training strengthened their ability to support parents through clear communication and shared decision-making.
What This Means for Your Family
One of the biggest benefits to families is that both Meghan and Jenna train all of our Supervised Instructor Therapists (SITs) under the direction of our RBAs so that we can provide:
A safer, more compassionate approach
PFA and SBT prioritizes dignity and reduces stress for children.
Truly individualized support
Plans are based on your child’s unique needs and strengths.
A team that works together seamlessly
With both leads trained at an advanced level, our whole team is aligned.
Parents are true partners
Families are included, supported, and empowered at every step.
Celebrating Growth That Benefits Every Child
We are incredibly proud of Meghan and Jenna for their commitment to staying at the forefront of compassionate, evidence-based ABA. Their new skills enrich the entire team and enhance the support we provide to every child at bitKIDS.
If you’d like to learn more about how PFA and SBT can fit into your child’s therapy, our team is always here to connect. Contact info@bitkids.ca.
