A COMPONENT ANALYSIS OF FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION TRAINING ACROSS THREE TOPOGRAPHIES OF SEVERE BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS

TLDR

The study discusses reinforcement efficiency, history, and control over appropriate and inappropriate responses. The authors evaluated the separate components of a functional communication training program for three severely handicapped individuals exhibiting distinct aberrant behavior topographies. After a functional analysis of self‑injury, stereotypy, and aggression, participants were trained to emit a communicative response to solicit reinforcement, with two receiving additional time‑out or graduated guidance for inappropriate behavior, and treatment continued until independent communicative responding and no inappropriate behavior for at least two sessions, followed by a reversal design to assess each component’s contribution. Both sets of treatment components were required for maximal control over aberrant behavior.

Abstract

We evaluated the separate treatment components of a functional communication training program for 3 severely handicapped persons who each displayed different topographies of aberrant behavior. Following a functional analysis of maintaining conditions for inappropriate behavior (self‐injury, stereotypy, aggression), each participant was trained to emit a communicative response that functioned to solicit reinforcement. For 2 participants, consequences (time‐out or graduated guidance) for inappropriate behavior were also included. Treatment continued until the participants emitted the communicative response independently and no occurrences of inappropriate behavior were observed for at least two sessions. Following treatment, the separate contributions of the treatment components for communicative responding and for inappropriate behavior were evaluated with a reversal design. The results indicated that both sets of treatment components were necessary for maximal control over aberrant behavior. These results are discussed in relation to the efficiency, history, and control over reinforcement of both appropriate and inappropriate responses.