Functional communication training with and without alternative reinforcement and punishment: An analysis of 58 applications

TLDR

Functional communication training (FCT) is an empirically supported treatment for problem behavior in individuals with intellectual disabilities, and prior work has shown that extinction is essential while punishment may sometimes be required. This study extends and updates the 1998 Hagopian et al. analysis by examining more recent FCT applications. The authors analyzed 58 consecutive FCT applications, focusing on the use of alternative reinforcement (noncontingent and differential) and multiple schedules during schedule thinning.

Abstract

Functional communication training (FCT) is an empirically supported treatment for problem behavior displayed by individuals with intellectual disabilities. Hagopian, Fisher, Sullivan, Acquisto, and LeBlanc (1998) analyzed 25 applications of FCT and showed that extinction was a necessary component of FCT, but sometimes punishment was needed to maintain low levels of problem behavior. The current consecutive case series summarized data from 58 applications of FCT in more recent cases. This analysis extended and updated Hagopian et al. by examining FCT when used in combination with alternative reinforcement (noncontingent and differential reinforcement) and multiple schedules during schedule thinning. Although it is difficult to make direct comparisons with the 1998 study, the results of the current case series analysis suggest that FCT can be enhanced when used in combination with alternative reinforcement and when multiple schedules are used during schedule thinning.