Evaluation of schedule thinning following treatment for aggression maintained by access to higher level restrictive and repetitive behavior
You can fade the continuous signal during FCT delays for RRB-driven aggression and still keep zero levels of problem behavior.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Fernand and team worked with three autistic children who hit, kicked, or bit whenever an adult blocked their higher-level repetitive play. The kids wanted to keep lining toys, scripting videos, or flipping switches.
First the researchers taught each child to hand over a card that said "my turn." That card gave back the repetitive play for a short time. Then they slowly made the wait longer and removed the green light that had stayed on during the wait. They tracked if aggression stayed gone.
What they found
All three kids stopped aggression completely once they could ask for their special play. Even when the wait grew to several minutes and the green light disappeared, hitting and kicking did not return.
The communication card kept working without any extra signals. Session time dropped and parents could run the plan at home.
How this fits with other research
Al-Jawahiri et al. (2019) pooled 28 studies and found thinning after FCT usually works, but kids with stronger language gain the most. Fernand’s trio had only basic requests, yet still succeeded, showing the trick works even with simple cards.
Murphy et al. (2014) had to add a rule that only the correct card earned the break. Fernand removed the continuous green light instead and got the same calm result. The two fixes target the same problem—kids asking the wrong way—but use different tactics.
Sumter et al. (2020) kept problem behavior low by giving an alternative toy during the wait. Fernand removed the light and gave nothing extra, yet aggression still stayed at zero. Both paths reach the same goal, giving you two tools to pick from.
Why it matters
If a child’s aggression is fed by blocked RRB, you no longer need to keep a signal on during the delay. Drop the light, shorten the session, and send the plan home. Start with a short wait, stretch it only after the child stays calm for two straight sessions, and drop the visual cue as soon as the data stay flat. You save materials and make home use easier without losing treatment power.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
One of the diagnostic characteristics of individuals with autism spectrum disorders includes engaging in restricted and repetitive behavior. Research has shown that individuals will often display problem behavior when access to restricted and repetitive behavior is blocked. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the use of functional communication training and schedule thinning to treat aggression displayed by three children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders when higher level restrictive and repetitive behavior was blocked. Further, we assessed whether all steps in a schedule-thinning sequence were necessary as well as extended the practicality of these procedures by removing the continuous signal during the delay to reinforcement. The results indicated that functional communication with schedule thinning reduced aggression related to blocking access to engaging in higher level restrictive and repetitive behavior for all participants.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 2023 · doi:10.1002/jaba.1016