Resources Used
Olive, M., Lang, R., & Davis, T. (2008). An analysis of the effects of functional communication and a voice output communication aid for a child with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 2(2), 223‐236.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of functional communication training and a VOCA (Voice Output Communication Aid) on the challenging behavior and language development of a four-year-old girl with autism. The participant’s mother implemented modified functional analysis (FA) and intervention procedures at home. A multiple probe design across activities was used to analyze intervention effectiveness. Functional Communication Trainings with a VOCA (Voice Output Communication Aid) successfully decreased challenging behavior and increased VOCA use. A secondary analysis revealed increased pronoun use.
Casey, S.D., & Merical, C.L. (2006). The use of functional communication training without additional treatment procedures in an inclusive school setting. Behavioral Disorders, 32, 46‐54.
The premise behind functional communication training is to replace maladaptive behaviors with a communicative response that is either verbal or gestural. Such responses are the functional equivalent of the maladaptive or self‐injurious behavior except that they are more socially acceptable. In order for this to be successful, the communicative response must be reinforced heavily while the maladaptive or self‐injurious behavior is reinforced minimally, if at all. One 11-year-old student participated in this study. Results showed a decrease in maladaptive or self‐injurious behaviors.
Drager, K., Postal, V., Carrolus, L., Castellano, M., Gagliano, C., & Glynn, J. (2006). The effect of aided language modeling on symbol comprehension and production in two preschoolers with autism. American Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 15, 112‐126.
Two four-year-olds with autism participated in this study to determine the efficacy of Aided Language Modeling (ALM; Picture Communication Systems and natural language strategies) to improve receptive language symbol comprehension and production. Results indicated that ALM is an effective intervention to increase both symbol comprehension and production. The effects were maintained over the 37 sessions of the study.
Mancil, G.R., Conroy, M.A., Nakao, T., & Alter, P. (2006). Functional communication training in the natural environment: A pilot investigation with a young child with autism spectrum disorder. Education and Treatment of Children, 29, 615‐633.
This study examined functional communication training for one four-year-old boy over 60 sessions. Results demonstrated a reduction in maladaptive or disruptive behaviors, an increase in communication, and a reduction in response time to distracters.
Martin, C.A., Drasgow, E., Halle, J.W., & Brucker, J.M. (2005). Teaching a child with autism and severe language delays to reject: Direct and indirect effects of functional communication training. Educational Psychology, 25, 287‐304.
The study examined the effects of direct functional communication training, involving prompting, differential reinforcement, and error correction procedures, in teaching a 10-year-old child with autism to reject items by touching an icon. Results indicated that the training was successful at replacing pushing away with touching an icon to reject items, but it had variable effects on the other behaviors serving a rejecting function.
Polirstok, S.R., Dana, L., Buono, S., Mongelli, V., & Trubia, G. (2003). Improving functional communication skills in adolescents and young adults with severe autism using gentle teaching and positive approaches. Topics in Language Disorders, 23, 146‐153.
The study examined the therapeutic intervention program for young adults with severe autism at the Oasi Institute in Troina, Sicily. The program, which integrates gentle teaching, humanistic applied behavior analysis and functional communication training, values human interactions and provides opportunities to acquire functional skills through errorless learning activities. Eighteen adolescents with autism participated in the study. Results of an 18-month study indicated significant improvements in functional communication skills and an accompanying reduction in maladaptive/stereotypic behaviors in the environment using gentle teaching and positive approaches.
Braithwaite, K.L., & Richdale, A.L. (2000). Functional communication training to replace challenging behaviors across two behavioral outcomes. Behavioral Interventions, 15, 21‐36.
The study examined the effectiveness of an intervention that included extinction and functional communication training to reduce multiply controlled, self‐injurious and aggressive behaviors in a seven-year-old boy with autism in a school setting. Analysis of behavioral antecedents and consequences suggested that self‐injury and aggression served the dual behavioral outcomes of escape from difficult tasks and access to preferred objects. Treatment consisted of teaching the boy an alternate request, while challenging behaviors were concurrently placed on extinction. Acquisition of the alternate requests was associated with a decrease to zero levels of self‐injury and aggression across the two behavioral outcomes, which was maintained when a five‐second delay was implemented. Results showed that challenging behaviors with different behavioral outcomes can be replaced with functionally equivalent communication.
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