Lag Schedules and Functional Communication Training: Persistence of Mands and Relapse of Problem Behavior.
Adding lag 1-5 to FCT keeps mands fresh and problem behavior gone.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Two boys with autism got FCT for problem behavior. One was 5, the other 7.
After they learned one mand, the team added a lag schedule. The boy now had to use a different word every 1-5 trials to get the toy.
What they found
Problem behavior stayed low even when the lag grew to 5. Mand variety stayed high.
One boy kept using new words even when lag dropped back to zero.
How this fits with other research
Lambert et al. (2017) tried serial FCT first. They taught three mands in order. Resurgence only shrank a little.
Stevens et al. (2018) beat that result. Lag schedules gave bigger, longer gains with less teaching time.
O'Reilly et al. (2012) put the mand before the tangible. That helps at the start. Lag schedules help later when you thin reinforcement.
Why it matters
If you run FCT, slip in a lag 1 after the first mand is solid. Grow the lag as you thin. You get two wins: the child keeps talking in new ways and problem behavior stays quiet even at lag 5. One child kept the skill after lag went to zero, so you may keep the schedule for just a few sessions.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
We evaluated the effects of lag schedules of reinforcement and functional communication training (FCT) on mand variability and problem behavior in two children with autism spectrum disorder. Specifically, we implemented FCT with increasing lag schedules and compared its effects on problem behavior with baseline conditions. The results showed that both participants exhibited low rates of problem behavior during treatment relative to baseline during and following schedule thinning (up to a Lag 5 schedule arrangement). Variable and total mands remained high during schedule thinning. With one participant, variable manding persisted when the value of the lag schedule was reduced to zero. The current results are discussed in terms of implications for training multiple mand topographies during FCT for the potential prevention and/or mitigation of clinical relapse during challenges to treatment.
Behavior modification, 2018 · doi:10.1177/0145445517741475