An analysis of functional communication training in a vocational/occupational training high school

The purpose of this study was to evaluate an attempt to reduce escape-motivated tantrum behavior by providing students with an alternative behavioral strategy called “functional communication training” or FCT. Study participants were taught to emit a specific verbal response when presented with tasks that had previously been observed to elicited tantrum behavior. Responses ranged from “excuse me” to “take a break” or “break”. Responses were chosen for their ease of use, and because they were words the students were familiar with and had been observed using occasionally. The central hypothesis of this study predicted that FCT training would help decrease escape-maintained aberrant behavior in students ranging in age from 17 to 18 years who were classified as either mild or moderately mentally retarded and who attended an occupational/vocational training high school. In order to test the hypothesis, six students from a pool of eight who demonstrated a level of escape maintained aberrant behavior that was significantly higher than that of their same class peers were randomly selected and assigned to treatment and waitlist control groups. After establishing baseline indicators on escape-maintained aberrant behaviors and teacher reports on DBRS and MAS, the three students in the treatment group were provided FCT intervention. They were compared to the waitlist control group at baseline, intervention, and maintenance periods on frequency of escape-maintained aberrant behaviors; pretest and posttest DBRS and MAS scores were also compared. The central hypothesis was supported by the findings. Using prompt fading techniques, within five days each student was successfully able to emit their learned verbal response independent of investigator involvement when presented with tasks that had previously elicited tantrum behavior. The students demonstrated the ability to connect the verbal response with the reinforcement of receiving a break. Escape-maintained aberrant behavior declined during the intervention period and was maintained two weeks following the FCT intervention. In addition, findings indicated an improvement in overall behavior among the treatment sample as measured by the DBRS, especially in interpersonal relations and in expression of inappropriate feelings and behaviors. Tantrums motivated by escape declined significantly.