Effectiveness of a Brief Functional Analysis and Functional Communication Training Conducted Through Telehealth
School staff can run a brief FA and FCT via telehealth and cut problem behavior without an in-person BCBA.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Craig et al. (2022) asked if school staff could run a brief FA and FCT over Zoom.
They coached teachers and aides in real time while the kids stayed in class.
COVID closed two cases early, but the team kept tracking data until stop.
What they found
Staff carried out the full brief FA and FCT steps with live telehealth help.
Challenging behavior dropped and communication responses rose for each child.
The study shows the model works even when classrooms shut down mid-plan.
How this fits with other research
Lindgren et al. (2020) got a 98% behavior cut with parents at home; Craig moves the same telehealth package into school staff hands.
Spackman et al. (2025) later topped this with a progressive FA that hit 80% reduction across 17 kids, updating the brief FA used here.
Schieltz et al. (2022) mirrored the result on a global scale, giving a direct replication that boosts confidence in the brief model.
Why it matters
You no longer need an in-person BCBA to start an FA and FCT in school.
One Zoom call can train staff to run the assessment and teach a replacement mand the same day.
If a new closure hits, you can keep the plan rolling without missing data or momentum.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study evaluates the effectiveness of a brief functional analysis and functional communication training conducted via telehealth. Three interventionist-child dyads took part in the study including one speech and language pathologist and two school teaching assistants, each working with one child with autism spectrum disorder. Interventionists were trained using didactic training to implement a brief functional analysis as well as synchronous coaching from a BCBA® to implement functional communication training. A multiple baseline across participants design was utilised to evaluate if interventionists could implement functional communication training to decrease challenging behaviours that included aggression, elopement and disruption. Sessions concluded earlier than planned due to school closures mandated by the COVID-19 outbreak for two of the three participants; however, existing data provide evidence that telehealth is a valid model for enabling clinicians to work in collaboration with school personnel to effectively deliver assessment and intervention procedures remotely via telehealth.
Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 2022 · doi:10.1007/s10882-022-09857-6