Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis logoLink to Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
. 1997 Fall;30(3):507–531. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1997.30-507

The long-term effects of functional communication training in home settings.

K M Derby 1, D P Wacker 1, W Berg 1, A DeRaad 1, S Ulrich 1, J Asmus 1, J Harding 1, A Prouty 1, P Laffey 1, E A Stoner 1
PMCID: PMC1284065  PMID: 9316262

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.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (350.2 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Axelrod S. Functional and structural analyses of behavior: approaches leading to reduced use of punishment procedures? Res Dev Disabil. 1987;8(2):165–178. doi: 10.1016/0891-4222(87)90001-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Carr E. G., Durand V. M. Reducing behavior problems through functional communication training. J Appl Behav Anal. 1985 Summer;18(2):111–126. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1985.18-111. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cooper L. J., Wacker D. P., Thursby D., Plagmann L. A., Harding J., Millard T., Derby M. Analysis of the effects of task preferences, task demands, and adult attention on child behavior in outpatient and classroom settings. J Appl Behav Anal. 1992 Winter;25(4):823–840. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1992.25-823. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Durand V. M., Carr E. G. An analysis of maintenance following functional communication training. J Appl Behav Anal. 1992 Winter;25(4):777–794. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1992.25-777. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Durand V. M., Carr E. G. Functional communication training to reduce challenging behavior: maintenance and application in new settings. J Appl Behav Anal. 1991 Summer;24(2):251–264. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1991.24-251. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fisher W., Piazza C., Cataldo M., Harrell R., Jefferson G., Conner R. Functional communication training with and without extinction and punishment. J Appl Behav Anal. 1993 Spring;26(1):23–36. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1993.26-23. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Iwata B. A., Dorsey M. F., Slifer K. J., Bauman K. E., Richman G. S. Toward a functional analysis of self-injury. J Appl Behav Anal. 1994 Summer;27(2):197–209. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1994.27-197. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Koegel R. I., Frea W. D. Treatment of social behavior in autism through the modification of pivotal social skills. J Appl Behav Anal. 1993 Fall;26(3):369–377. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1993.26-369. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Mace F. C., Lalli J. S. Linking descriptive and experimental analyses in the treatment of bizarre speech. J Appl Behav Anal. 1991 Fall;24(3):553–562. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1991.24-553. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Northup J., Wacker D. P., Berg W. K., Kelly L., Sasso G., DeRaad A. The treatment of severe behavior problems in school settings using a technical assistance model. J Appl Behav Anal. 1994 Spring;27(1):33–47. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1994.27-33. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Northup J., Wacker D., Sasso G., Steege M., Cigrand K., Cook J., DeRaad A. A brief functional analysis of aggressive and alternative behavior in an outclinic setting. J Appl Behav Anal. 1991 Fall;24(3):509–522. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1991.24-509. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Sasso G. M., Reimers T. M., Cooper L. J., Wacker D., Berg W., Steege M., Kelly L., Allaire A. Use of descriptive and experimental analyses to identify the functional properties of aberrant behavior in school settings. J Appl Behav Anal. 1992 Winter;25(4):809–821. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1992.25-809. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Sprague J. R., Horner R. H. Covariation within functional response classes: implications for treatment of severe problem behavior. J Appl Behav Anal. 1992 Fall;25(3):735–745. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1992.25-735. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Touchette P. E., MacDonald R. F., Langer S. N. A scatter plot for identifying stimulus control of problem behavior. J Appl Behav Anal. 1985 Winter;18(4):343–351. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1985.18-343. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Wacker D. P., Steege M. W., Northup J., Sasso G., Berg W., Reimers T., Cooper L., Cigrand K., Donn L. A component analysis of functional communication training across three topographies of severe behavior problems. J Appl Behav Anal. 1990 Winter;23(4):417–429. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1990.23-417. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis are provided here courtesy of Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

RESOURCES