Functional communication training using assistive devices: effects on challenging behavior and affect

TLDR

Functional communication training teaches students with severe challenging behavior to request previously obtained stimuli, and recent efforts aim to develop effective interventions for such individuals with limited communication skills. The study evaluated the effectiveness of functional communication training for aggression, self‑injury, and tantrums in three students. Assistive devices were employed to augment communication, teaching students to use them to request the objects and activities that maintain their challenging behavior after a functional assessment. Baseline data showed that the students successfully used the devices, the intervention reduced their challenging behavior, and they displayed increased positive facial expressions following training.

Abstract

Functional communication training involve teaching students who display severe challenging behavior to appropriately request the stimuli previously obtained by their behavior problems. In the present study, we evaluated the effectiveness of functional communication training as an intervention for the aggression, self-injury, and tantrums exhibited by three students. Assistive devices were used to augment their communicative skills. Following an assessment of the function of their challenging behavior, the students were taught to use their devices to request the objects and activities maintaining their behavior (e.g., social attention, breaks from work). Multiple baseline data collected across the three students indicated that not only did the students use their devices successfully, but the intervention also reduced their challenging behavior. In addition, data on how the students were affected showed that they displayed increased positive facial expression following the communication intervention compared with before training. These results are discussed in the context of recent efforts to develop effective interventions for severely challenging behavior for persons with limited communication skills.