Evaluation of a Sequential Extinction Procedure on Preference for Communication Modalities During Functional Communication Training
Teach two mands, briefly extinguish both, and keep the one that survives—kids end up with a durable, self-selected communication form.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Livingston et al. (2025) tested a new twist on FCT. They taught each child two ways to ask for the same reinforcer. One option was vocal. The other was an AAC picture or sign.
Next they ran brief extinction on both choices. The response that survived longest became the 'winner' and stayed in the program. They tracked if problem behavior popped back up during this quick extinction phase.
What they found
Every child ended up with a clear favorite way to mand. The top choice was always the form that held out longest under extinction. Problem behavior rose a little during the switch, then dropped back to near zero.
The brief extinction did not wreck the child's overall communication. Kids kept using the winning mand and problem behavior stayed low.
How this fits with other research
Ringdahl et al. (2018) showed that high-preferred mands last longer when reinforcement gets thin. Livingston uses that same idea, but lets the child discover the winner instead of guessing it ahead of time.
Adami et al. (2017) and Stevens et al. (2018) used lag schedules to keep mands varied. Livingston swaps lag for sequential extinction. Both tricks keep responses strong while problem behavior stays down.
Orozco et al. (2023) found no speed edge for EFL-recommended AAC. Livingston agrees: let the child, not a test, pick the best modality.
Why it matters
You no longer need to guess which FCR form will last. Teach two, run thirty-second extinction probes, and keep the survivor. The whole check takes minutes and gives you a mand that will probably outlast future schedule thinning. Try it in your next FCT case.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
ABSTRACT Functional communication training is an effective and well‐established intervention for socially maintained challenging behavior. Previous research determined that preference for functional communication responses (FCRs) influences treatment durability. This study extends previous research by evaluating the use of a sequential extinction procedure to establish a hierarchy of preference for FCR modalities within a treatment context. We taught participants different FCR modalities to access the same reinforcer maintaining challenging behavior and assessed modality preference via a concurrent operant mand modality preference assessment measuring FCR modality response allocation and challenging behavior. We then sequentially placed preferred modalities on extinction to establish a preference hierarchy and evaluate persistence of communication and challenging behavior during treatment challenges. Preference hierarchies were established for all participants within the context of treatment (functional communication training). Additionally, some challenging behavior was observed when preferred modalities were placed on extinction; however, effects were temporary and did not always persist across sequential extinction phases. These findings provide preliminary evidence to support teaching multiple communication modalities may lead to a more durable treatment. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.
Behavioral Interventions, 2025 · doi:10.1002/bin.70053