Functional communication training to reduce challenging behavior: maintenance and application in new settings.
Teach a single function-matched phrase and the problem behavior can stay low for two years across classrooms.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team taught three elementary students to say short phrases instead of hitting or screaming.
They used functional communication training, or FCT.
First they ran a quick test to find out why each child acted out.
Then they taught a simple sentence that got the same payoff.
The study tracked the kids for up to two years to see if the new words stuck.
What they found
Challenging behavior dropped sharply right away.
The children kept using their new phrases for 18 to 24 months.
The gains moved with them to new classrooms and new teachers.
No extra booster sessions were needed.
How this fits with other research
Ghaemmaghami et al. (2021) later warned that most FCT proofs come from well-controlled clinics, not real schools.
The 1991 study is one of the few they count as true classroom evidence.
Weber et al. (2024) adds a twist: FCT is weaker when escape is one of several triggers.
That finding updates the 1991 work by showing you may need two separate mands, not one, when a behavior serves two functions.
Lindgren et al. (2020) stretched the idea further, showing parents can run FCT on Zoom with 98% success.
Together the papers trace a line from clinic demo to living-room reality.
Why it matters
You can start FCT on Monday with nothing more than a card that says “I need help.”
Pick the function first, teach one matching sentence, and watch the behavior fall.
If the child also bolts to avoid work, add a second sentence for break.
The 1991 data say the fix can last two school years without extra drills.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
We evaluated the initial effectiveness, maintenance, and transferability of the results of functional communication training as an intervention for the challenging behaviors exhibited by 3 students. Assessment indicated that escape from academic demands was involved in the maintenance of the challenging behaviors. Social attention was also implicated as controlling the behavior of 1 student. The intervention involved teaching alternative assistance-seeking and attention-getting phrases to the students in an effort to replace challenging behavior with these verbal equivalents. Multiple baseline data collected across the 3 students indicated that not only did the intervention substantially reduce challenging behavior but also that these results transferred across new tasks, environments, and teachers, and were generally maintained from 18 to 24 months following the introduction of functional communication training. These results are discussed in light of recent efforts to develop effective interventions for severe challenging behavior and to understand the processes underlying transfer and maintenance of intervention effects.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 1991 · doi:10.1901/jaba.1991.24-251