Using Functional Communication to Reduce Aggression in Children with Autism

Abstract

Children with autism often have limited verbal skills which can cause frustration in communicating their wants and needs. Unfortunately, they find other less socially acceptable ways to get their point across that can be aggressive in nature to get the attention of those they are trying to communicate with. These behaviors can cause injury to themselves or others, including peers, family members, and caregivers. Functional Communication Training (FCT) is a procedure in which a socially appropriate communicative behavior is taught to replace a less appropriate behavior.

Using Functional Communication Training to Reduce Aggression in Children with Autism

Approximately two thirds of the nearly 2 million children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder are initially non-verbal and often do not develop sufficient speech and language to meet daily communication needs (purdue.edu). Speech Pathologists, ABA therapists, and special educators have turned to the field of augmentative or alternative communication (AAC) to help provide more options for children with autism. AAC augments or replaces spoken language through alternative means of communication. Functional communication training (FCT) is a common form of differential reinforcement intervention used for children demonstrating distinct problem behaviors. The problem behaviors emerge from frustration related to their inability to communicate their wants, to verbalize choices, or to communicate while playing with peers. Functional communication training is one of the most common and effective interventions for severe problem behaviors and there have been numerous studies demonstrating the effectiveness of functional communication training in helping to reduce self-injurious behavior (e.g., Bird, F., P., Moniz, D., & Robinson, J., 1989), support choice-making (e.g., Peck et al., 1996; Dunlap et al., 1994), and even support routines at home (e.g., Stiebel, D. 1999).

The foundational and most notable of functional communication training research studies was based on the master’s thesis work of Edward G. Carr while he was under the supervision of V. Mark Durand. Behaviorists have focused interventions throughout history on eliminating maladaptive behavior, especially those that relate directly to the safety of the individual, their caregivers, and their peers as mentioned above. Carr and Durand understood that in order to do this, there must be a socially acceptable and replacement behavior. They found the factors that maintain behavior problems are either escape based, controlled by negative reinforcement or attention seeking behavior controlled by positive reinforcement (Carr & Durand, 1985).

In this particular groundbreaking FCT research study, Carr and Durand approach how