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EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION TRAINING IN THE PRESENCE AND ABSENCE OF ESTABLISHING OPERATIONS
Author(s) -
Brown Kimberly A.,
Wacker David P.,
Derby K. Mark,
Peck Stephanie M.,
Richman David M.,
Sasso Gary M.,
Knutson Claudia L.,
Harding Jay W.
Publication year - 2000
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.2000.33-53
Subject(s) - mand , functional analysis , context (archaeology) , functional equivalence , psychology , function (biology) , context effect , equivalence (formal languages) , developmental psychology , generalization , cognitive psychology , autism , biology , mathematics , paleontology , biochemistry , linguistics , philosophy , mathematical analysis , evolutionary biology , gene , geometry , discrete mathematics , word (group theory)
We conducted functional analyses of aberrant behavior with 4 children with developmental disabilities. We then implemented functional communication training (FCT) by using different mands across two contexts, one in which the establishing operation (EO) that was relevant to the function of aberrant behavior was present and one in which the EO that was relevant to the function of aberrant behavior was absent. The mand used in the EO‐present context served the same function as aberrant behavior, and the mand used in the EO‐absent context served a different function than the one identified via the functional analysis. In addition, a free‐play (control) condition was conducted for all children. Increases in relevant manding were observed in the EO‐present context for 3 of the 4 participants. Decreases in aberrant behavior were achieved by the end of the treatment analysis for all 4 participants. Irrelevant mands were rarely observed in the EO‐absent context for 3 of the 4 participants. Evaluating the effectiveness of FCT across different contexts allowed a further analysis of manding when the establishing operations were present or absent. The contributions of this study to the understanding of functional equivalence are also discussed.