Transfer of treatment effects from combined to isolated conditions during functional communication training for multiply controlled problem behavior

Five autistic children got FCT at home through Zoom. The team mixed all reinforcers in one package. Kids could ask for toys, snacks, or breaks with one card.

After problem behavior dropped, the researchers pulled the package apart. They tested each reinforcer alone. They wanted to see if the child still used the card when only one consequence was available.

Only one child kept the card use when rewards were split. The other four showed a quick burst of problem behavior. They needed extra teaching rounds in each single condition.

Boyle et al. (2019) looked like the opposite story. One child in that study kept perfect stimulus control after the same synthesized-to-isolated switch. The difference: that child had only two clear functions. Tsami’s kids had three or four tangled together, so the jump was harder.

Suess et al. (2020) also used Zoom FCT but asked a different question. They moved the training to a “clean” room first, then back to the problem context. Resurgence still happened, yet it faded faster. Tsami shows that even after you pick the context, you still have to test each reinforcer alone.

Blair et al. (2025) pooled 34 kids and says FCT works great in natural settings. Their numbers include Tsami’s mixed cases, so the overall “large effect” hides the fact that some kids need extra steps when contingencies are pulled apart.

Don’t assume the job is done once the composite session looks good. Probe each function alone for one or two sessions. If resurgence pops, run brief booster FCT in that single condition before you discharge. Add this probe to your parent-training checklist so caregivers know what to watch for at home.