Using Pyramidal Training to Address Challenging Behavior in an Early Childhood Education Classroom
Train one preschool teacher, let her train three peers, and the whole room can run FCT without extinction in a week.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Thompson et al. (2023) worked in a preschool classroom.
Four teachers learned to run FCT without extinction.
A lead trainer taught one head teacher first.
That head teacher then trained the other three staff.
The whole cycle finished in under one week.
What they found
Every adult hit 100 % fidelity after the peer-to-peer training.
Student aggression dropped to zero.
Functional mands went up.
Gains held after a two-week holiday break.
How this fits with other research
Edelstein et al. (2025) also used FCT without extinction.
They worked with caregivers at home and cut problem behavior by 94 %.
Both studies show you can skip extinction and still win.
Shawler et al. (2021) pushed the idea further.
They used telehealth to train caregivers of adults.
Same trainer-to-trainer logic, but done through a screen.
Ramirez et al. (2025) asked what happens next.
They thinned the schedule after FCT with a fixed-lean plan.
Thompson kept the rich schedule, proving you can train staff fast and stay there.
Why it matters
You can copy this pyramidal plan on Monday.
Pick one strong staff member, coach her to mastery in a day, then have her run the next three.
Use the same FCT script, keep reinforcement thick, and watch aggression vanish without tears or extinction bursts.
No extra funding, no outside consultant after day one.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Pick your best aide, teach her the FCT plan today, then have her role-play it with the rest of staff tomorrow.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Challenging behavior exhibited by students in a school setting is one of the most significant obstructions to student learning. These behaviors often warrant specialized interventions delivered by educators in the presence of typically developing peers; however, the availability of personnel to prepare educators to implement said interventions is limited. One viable solution may be to leverage a pyramidal training model in which training is provided in tiers, allowing for more individuals to be trained within a shorter period. In the current study, one researcher utilized pyramidal training to prepare four educators to implement functional communication training without extinction to decrease aggression toward peers for one student in an inclusionary early childhood education setting. With written instruction only (similar to what a teacher might receive as part of a behavior intervention plan), all educators implemented the intervention with low fidelity (M = 15% steps completed correctly). Post-intervention, all educators were able to implement the intervention with the trainer at or above 80% fidelity, and skills improved to 100% fidelity during in situ training with the student. For the student, aggression was completely decreased to zero levels, and functional communication responses increased. Moreover, all results were maintained after the holiday break without additional training. Implications for research and practice will be discussed.
Education Sciences, 2023 · doi:10.3390/educsci13060539