Association for Behavior Analysis International

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41st Annual Convention; San Antonio, TX; 2015

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Symposium #9
CE Offered: BACB
Treatment Adjuncts to Functional Communication Training
Saturday, May 23, 2015
1:00 PM–1:50 PM
214D (CC)
Area: DDA; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Heather Pane (Caldwell University)
CE Instructor: Heather Pane, M.Ed.
Abstract:

This symposium will include data-based presentations that describe the use of functional communication training (FCT) as part of a treatment package. The first study used a brief-functional analysis in developing a Social Story that matched the function of the target behavior for two participants with autism. The function-based Social Story plus FCT was effective in decreasing the target behavior and increasing the target mand for both participants. The second study evaluated the effectiveness of multiple schedules to maintain treatment gains when generalized to a naturalistic setting for two participants with developmental disabilities who engaged in severe problem behavior. Discriminated mands maintained with both participants while problem behavior remained low in new settings. The third study evaluated the effects of token economies following acquisition of a break response to increase rates of compliance for two participants who engaged in problem behavior maintained by escape from demands. Following FCT, token economies were introduced. The token economy resulted in increasing rates of compliance, while maintaining low levels of problem behavior and break requests. These studies support the use of FCT as part of a treatment package for decreasing problem behavior and increasing appropriate mands.

Keyword(s): developmental disabilities, FCT, problem behavior
 
Social Stories™ with Children with Autism: Functional Analysis, Treatment Preference, and Maintenance
HEATHER PANE (Caldwell University), Tina Sidener (Caldwell University), Jason C. Vladescu (Caldwell University), Anjalee Nirgudkar (Behavior Analysts of NJ)
Abstract: Social Stories™ are often used with children with autism to provide information about appropriate behaviors in specific contexts. In the Social Story™ literature, there is limited research on functional analysis as a pre-assessment for determining the function of an individual’s behavior and subsequent implementation of a function-based Social Story™. This study used a brief-functional analysis to assist in developing a Social Story™ that matched the function of the target behavior for two participants with autism. The differential effects of a Social Story™ that matched the function of the behavior, a Social Story™ that did not match the function of the behavior, and a Social Story™ that described baseline were compared in an alternating treatments design. Results indicated that (a) the function-based Social Story™ plus functional communication training (FCT) was effective in decreasing the target behavior and increasing the target mand for both participants, (b) both participants selected the function-based Social Story™ during the treatment preference evaluations, and (c) both participants maintained low levels of the target behavior and maintained target mands when the Social Stories™ were removed.
 
Some Novel Methods of Establishing Multiple Schedules Following Functional Communication Training
SETH B. CLARK (The Marcus Autism Center), Nathan Call (Marcus Autism Center), Joanna Lomas Mevers (The Marcus Autism Center), Jessica Alvarez (Marcus Autism Center)
Abstract: Studies have indicated that multiple schedules can be effective tools to produce discriminated manding while maintaining low rates of problem behavior (Fisher, Kuhn, & Thompson, 1998; Hanley, Iwata, & Thompson, 2001). Multiple schedules may also be effective when trying to maintain treatment effects in the natural environment. Treatments are commonly evaluated within a single environment that is well controlled (Campbell, 2003). However, difficulties can arise in natural environments that are inevitably less structured. The use of schedule correlated stimuli within a multiple schedule arrangement may help promote stimulus control of problem behavior and manding, and prevent resurgence. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of multiple schedules to maintain treatment gains when generalized to a naturalistic setting. Participants were two individuals with developmental disabilities who engaged in severe problem behavior. Prior to generalization, participants first completed a schedule thinning protocol designed to maintain discriminated manding while thinning the schedule of reinforcement to a terminal goal of a 10 min in the presence of the SDELTA. Next, treatment was generalized to leisure, academic, life skills, and other naturalistic settings and tasks. Overall, discriminated mands maintained with both participants while problem behavior remained low in these new settings.
 
An Evaluation of Token Economies Following Functional Communication Training to Increase Compliance
NADRAT NUHU (Auburn University), Sacha T. Pence (Auburn University)
Abstract: Functional communication training (FCT) is a well-supported intervention used to manage problem behavior by teaching alternative communicative responses to access functionally equivalent reinforcers (Hagopian, Boelter, & Jarmolowicz, 2011). Sometimes during FCT, the individual will engage in the communicative response excessively, requiring systematic schedule thinning (Hagopian, Fisher, Sullivan, Acquisto, & LeBlanc, 1998). The current study evaluated the effects of token economies following acquisition of a break response to increase rates of compliance. Two participants who engaged in problem behavior maintained by escape from demands were taught to request a break. Following FCT, token economies were introduced. Tokens were earned contingent on compliance and then traded-in for preferred items and enhanced breaks. The token economy contingencies were systematically increased while the break response continued to result in the removal of demands. The token economy resulted in increasing rates of compliance, while maintaining low levels of problem behavior and break requests. These findings persisted across increasing the ratio of difficult demands and increasing the schedule and exchange requirements. The findings suggest that FCT schedule thinning is not always necessary to decrease rates of communication response use and that competing contingencies may be effective for increasing compliance.
 

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