Providing alternative reinforcers to facilitate tolerance to delayed reinforcement following functional communication training.
Hand the client a small, now-available reinforcer during FCT delays and problem behavior stays low.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team ran FCT with one adult who had an intellectual disability.
The person asked for a break with a card.
Breaks were given after a short delay.
While the client waited, staff handed a small toy or snack.
They measured if problem behavior stayed low during the wait.
What they found
Problem behavior stayed low when the toy or snack was available.
When the extra item was removed, problem behavior rose.
Bringing the item back again lowered the behavior.
The simple add-on made delay tolerance work.
How this fits with other research
Simmons et al. (2022) later tested the same idea with four kids.
They added moderately preferred items during FCT schedule thinning.
Kids reached the final delay faster and picked those sessions.
The 2015 single case opened the door; 2022 showed the trick speeds clinical thinning.
Gerber et al. (2011) already said FCT is a well-established treatment.
Their review counted single-case studies like this one.
So the toy-during-delay tactic sits inside an evidence-based package.
Why it matters
You can copy this move tomorrow.
After the client mands, set a timer for two minutes and hand a small reinforcer.
A puzzle, a handful of crackers, or a fidget keeps problem behavior down while the real break is coming.
No extra staff, no new protocol, just a quick item swap.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The earliest stages of functional communication training (FCT) involve providing immediate and continuous reinforcement for a communicative response (FCR) that is functionally equivalent to the targeted problem behavior. However, maintaining immediate reinforcement is not practical, and the introduction of delays is associated with increased problem behavior. The present study evaluated the effects of providing alternative reinforcers during delays to reinforcement with a 13-year-old boy with an intellectual disability. Problem behavior was less likely when alternative reinforcers were available during delays.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 2015 · doi:10.1002/jaba.215