Incorporating an activity schedule during schedule thinning in treatment of problem behavior
Slide an activity schedule into FCT thinning to keep problem behavior down and independent engagement up.
01Research in Context
What this study did
One young learners boy with autism got FCT for hitting.
After he learned to ask for breaks with a card, the team started thinning.
They added a picture activity schedule so he knew what to do during longer waits.
They watched problem behavior and independent play over the study period.
What they found
Problem behavior stayed near zero even when breaks came only every 10 minutes.
The boy played on his own for a large share of the time during the last sessions.
The schedule worked without extra rewards or new teaching.
How this fits with other research
Al-Jawahiri et al. (2019) looked at 28 studies and said thinning works best when kids already talk or sign well. This single case shows an activity schedule can help even when language is limited.
Sumter et al. (2020) gave kids other toys during the wait and also kept problem behavior low. Boyle et al. used a schedule instead of extra toys, giving you two tools for the same job.
Murphy et al. (2014) fixed high card use by blocking wrong requests. The new study skips blocking and uses a schedule to keep the boy busy, a gentler option.
Why it matters
If you are thinning FCT and see small spikes in problem behavior, try adding a simple picture schedule. Tape 3-4 photos of toys or tasks to the table. Point to the next picture each time the child finishes one. You may keep reinforcement lean while the child stays happy and busy.
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Join Free →Print 4 pictures of the child’s favorite solo activities and place them in order on the table during the next thinning session.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
AbstractWe incorporated an activity schedule (MacDuff et al., 1993) into schedule thinning (Hanley et al., 2014) following functional communication training in the treatment of problem behavior of a child with autism, systematically replicating and extending research on activity schedules and schedule thinning. When the activity schedule was introduced, independent engagement increased, rates of communication responses decreased, and problem behavior remained low. Results are discussed in terms of advantages of activity schedules during schedule thinning, conceptual implications for including activity schedules, and directions for future research.
Behavioral Interventions, 2021 · doi:10.1002/bin.1813