Assessment and Treatment of Challenging Behavior Maintained by a Nonvocal Mands Function

The team worked with one child whose challenging behavior was kept going by nonvocal mands.

They first ran a modified functional analysis to be sure the behavior was reinforced by getting items without any words or signs.

Next they used differential reinforcement in a chained schedule. A green card told the child reinforcement was available, a red card said it was not.

The design was ABAB so the effect could be shown, removed, and shown again.

Challenging behavior dropped when the chained schedule was in place.

The child kept working even when the green periods became shorter and farther apart.

Rates stayed low while reinforcement was thinned, proving the plan was safe to fade.

Greer et al. (2016) showed the same signaled thinning idea works in 25 FCT cases. Jeglum et al. (2020) now proves the tactic also helps when the child has no formal communication response.

Ramirez et al. (2025) pushed the idea further. They started thinning at a lean 60 s/240 s schedule right after FCT and most kids still did well. This suggests you can begin thinner than Jeglum did, but you should have a slower backup plan ready.

Kelley et al. (2023) copied the signaled logic in noncontingent reinforcement. Their rapid NCR thinning backs up Jeglum’s claim that clear SΔ signals protect treatment during schedule cuts.

If a client’s problem behavior is fed by nonvocal mands, you now have a full road map: test with a tweaked FA, treat with chained DR, thin with color signals, and keep gains while you fade.

The plan needs no extra punishment and only simple visuals, so parents and aides can run it at home or school.