Latency of response during the functional analysis of elopement.

Two students who ran away from school were watched closely.

The team ran a short trial-based functional analysis.

They timed how long it took each student to bolt from the door in each condition.

Quiet cameras outside let them see the escape without chasing the kids.

Latency told more than yes-or-no elopement.

One student bolted fastest when work was removed, hinting at automatic reinforcement.

The other left quickest when adults turned away, pointing to attention.

Same behavior, two different pay-offs, spotted only by stopwatch.

Johnson et al. (2009) first used latency in FA to rank demands.

Matson et al. (2013) borrow that stop-watch logic and move it to elopement.

Lejuez et al. (2001) and Lalli et al. (1995) also tracked latency across response classes.

They showed mild and severe behaviors form a time-ordered ladder.

The elopement study adds a new rung: leaving the room can sit on that same ladder.

Next time you FA elopement, bring a stopwatch.

Record seconds-to-door, not just if it happens.

Hide your observer or use outdoor cameras so the chase does not change the numbers.

You will leave the session knowing exactly what keeps the running game alive.