Using Functional Communication and Competing Stimuli to Gradually Increase the Distance of Transitions in the Treatment of Tangibly Maintained Elopement

A preschool boy kept running away when staff tried to move him from one room to another. The team guessed he wanted toys in the next room, so they called the behavior "tangibly maintained elopement."

They taught the boy to say "go see" and touch a picture card instead of running. While he waited they gave him a small toy to hold. Each week they made the walk two steps longer, still blocking any escape.

Elopement dropped to zero by the third week and stayed gone as the hallway grew from 3 feet to 60 feet. The boy used the "go see" request every time.

Parents and teachers later said he still asked instead of bolting in grocery stores and parking lots.

Jessel et al. (2016) also fixed transition trouble, but they used surprise prizes in the next room to stop dawdling. Frank-Crawford added a request and a fidget toy, showing you can fade distance even when the reinforcer sits at the far end.

Cox et al. (2017) stretched motion control minute-by-minute for MRI scans. Both studies prove you can grow a hard physical demand if you pair it with strong reinforcement and clear cues.

Allison et al. (1980) first showed that blocking escape plus teaching a new way out kills escape-based aggression. Frank-Crawford flips the function: the child wants IN, not OUT, yet the same rule holds—give a quick, easy ask and the problem vanishes.

You can copy this tomorrow. Teach "go see," hand the child a small favorite item, then add two steps each trip. No extra staff, no restraints, just a picture card and a toy car. Distance grows, elopement stays gone, and you still control the reinforcer.