Function‐based replacement behavior interventions for students with challenging behavior

Three general-ed teachers learned to teach a new, easy response that matched the same payoff as each student’s problem behavior.

The researchers used a multiple-baseline design across students to show the change was the teachers’ doing, not luck.

All students had mixed clinical labels and their challenging behavior happened during regular class work.

Challenging and off-task behavior dropped for every student once the replacement response was in place.

Two students kept the gains weeks later and also used the new response in other rooms with little help.

Teachers said the plan was easy and fair, giving it high marks on a short survey.

Dagnan et al. (2005) showed that a two-link picture exchange beats a four-link chain when aggression is on an FR 3 schedule. McKenna et al. (2017) now shows that even simpler, teacher-taught responses still work in real classrooms, extending the effort rule to new settings.

Kahng et al. (1999) found that boosting spelling accuracy slashed escape aggression. The new study adds a communication twist: you don’t have to make the whole task easier—just give a quick, function-matched way to ask for a break.

Tracey et al. (1974) used token rewards and response costs to curb disruption. McKenna’s team skips tokens and teaches a skill instead, showing that function-based communication can replace point systems for the same age group.

You can hand a busy teacher a one-page script and see problem behavior fall the same week. Pick the payoff you saw on the FA, teach a five-second response that gets it, and practice twice a day. No extra staff, no tokens, no data mountain—just a clear replacement that keeps paying off in new rooms.