THE LONG‐TERM EFFECTS OF FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION TRAINING IN HOME SETTINGS

TLDR

The study employed a four‑phase design in home settings with four children, first identifying antecedents and consequences of aberrant behavior, then evaluating short‑ and long‑term effects of functional communication training over up to 27 months. Treatment identified environmental triggers, reduced aberrant behavior immediately in three of four children, and achieved long‑term suppression and generalization in all children, supporting functional equivalence and pivotal responding.

Abstract

A four‐phase study was conducted in the homes of 4 young children who displayed aberrant behavior. Phases 1 and 2 consisted of a series of descriptive and experimental analyses to identify the environmental antecedents and consequences that controlled aberrant behavior. Phases 3 and 4 evaluated the short‐ and long‐term effects of treatment on aberrant behavior, target mands, and collateral (social and toy play) behaviors. The effects of treatment were monitored for up to 27 months to assess long‐term suppression of aberrant behavior. The assessment results successfully identified environmental events that occasioned and maintained aberrant behavior for all children. The short‐term treatment resulted in immediate decreases in aberrant behavior for 3 of 4 children. Long‐term treatment was successful for all children and was correlated with substantial response generalization. These results are interpreted in relation to functional equivalence, pivotal responding, and response generalization.