Prevention of Severe Behavior Problems in Children with Developmental Disorders

The potential for using functional communication training (FCT) as a means of preventing minor problem behaviors from escalating to more serious ones was investigated. Eight children who exhibited minor problem behaviors at home or at school participated in small learning groups focused on teaching language skills. Four of these children participated in groups in which the teacher employed FCT (i.e., functional communication skills to gain attention were taught and reinforced). The other four children participated in a control group receiving expressive language training (ELT; i.e., children were taught to answer wh questions). Children in the ELT group were subsequently switched to FCT in an extended intervention phase. The children who participated in the FCT group generally did not exhibit increases in either the intensity or frequency of problem behaviors over time. The level of their problem behavior remained low. However, children in the ELT group exhibited increases in both intensity and frequency of problem behaviors. Their problem behavior decreased after they were switched to FCT. In sum, FCT appeared to prevent minor problem behaviors from escalating to more serious ones. Critical variables in producing these results are discussed, as is the role of coercion processes. Heuristic suggestions are made for extending the investigation of FCT as a preventive strategy.