An evaluation of the performance diagnostic checklist–human services to assess an employee performance problem in a center‐based autism treatment facility

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services was administered to 3 supervisors to assess the variables that contributed to poor performance by 4 staff members when securing clients in therapy rooms at a treatment center for children with autism.

Abstract

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS) is an informant-based tool designed to assess the environmental variables that contribute to poor employee performance in human services settings. We administered the PDC-HS to 3 supervisors to assess the variables that contributed to poor performance by 4 staff members when securing clients in therapy rooms at a treatment center for children with autism. The PDC-HS identified a lack of appropriate consequences as contributing to poor staff performance. We then evaluated a PDC-HS-indicated intervention as well as an intervention not suggested by PDC-HS results. The PDC-HS-indicated intervention (graphed feedback) was effective to increase performance; the non-PDC-HS-based intervention was ineffective.