Premium
A COMPONENT ANALYSIS OF FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION TRAINING ACROSS THREE TOPOGRAPHIES OF SEVERE BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS
Author(s) -
Wacker David P.,
Steege Mark W.,
Northup John,
Sasso Gary,
Berg Wendy,
Reimers Thomas,
Cooper Linda,
Cigrand Karla,
Donn Lisa
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of applied behavior analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1938-3703
pISSN - 0021-8855
DOI - 10.1901/jaba.1990.23-417
Subject(s) - psychology , component (thermodynamics) , functional analysis , applied behavior analysis , component analysis , training (meteorology) , cognitive psychology , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , physical medicine and rehabilitation , autism , artificial intelligence , computer science , medicine , biochemistry , chemistry , gene , physics , meteorology , thermodynamics
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.