Association for Behavior Analysis International

Functional communication training is one of the most popular treatment approaches for challenging behavior among children with autism spectrum disorder. However, challenges pertaining to response variability, resurgence of challenging behavior, and overuse of a single mand may inhibit sustained implementation of FCT. This symposium presents three single case design studies on adaptations and extensions of FCT to address these challenges. The first paper evaluates FCT with lag schedules of reinforcement with preschool aged children on persistence and generalization of mands and the reduction of challenging behavior resurgence. The second paper illustrates a procedure for mand discrimination training for children with autism who communicate using augmentative and alternative communication. The third paper demonstrates the utility of comparing different function-based mands, not only in treating challenging behavior, but also in evaluating the validity of synthesized trial-based functional analysis results. Suggestions for further extending FCT in research and implications for practice are discussed.

Board Certified Behavior Analysts and practitioners who design and implement function-based interventions for challenging behavior in applied settings.

Functional communication training (FCT) is an evidence-based intervention that while often effective, can result in rote responding, reduced generalizability of target behavior, and resurgence of challenging behavior (CB) during treatment lapses. Lag schedules of reinforcement have been successfully used to address these concerns. This study is a systematic, conceptual replication of Falcomata and colleagues’ (2018) single case analysis, in which an increasing lag schedule was applied within FCT to increase the variability and persistence of appropriate responding while maintaining low levels of CB during treatment. We replicated and extended this research by including participants aged 3-5, retaining mand materials during baseline, comparing contingency strength between unreinforced mands and subsequent mands or CB across conditions, assessing generalization to new communication partners, and assessing social validity. Our replication provides evidence regarding the effects of the intervention on appropriate communication and CB during treatment and lapses in treatment with young children with autism.

Children with autism and complex communication needs often use augmentative and alternative communication systems (AAC) to express wants and needs. When children request something that is unavailable, the denied request can lead to problem behavior. Teaching children to discriminate the availability of reinforcers can decrease the risk of appropriate communication leading to problem behavior. One potential solution is to introduce discrimination training, a strategy frequently used to reduce challenging behavior, within a child’s AAC system. This study adds nuance to discrimination training by signaling the availability of reinforcement within an AAC system. We used a multiple probe across behaviors design to examine the effects of implementing discrimination training through visual cues into a low tech AAC device. Results revealed a functional relation between the use of discrimination training and the child’s contextually appropriate mands for preferred items.