NCT05445596

Improving Treatment for Children With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Problem Behavior in Schools

Advancing the Effectiveness of Functional Communication Training for Children With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Schools

• Status: Terminated
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 1 (actual)
• Sponsor: Western Kentucky University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 3 Years – 11 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) often engage in problem behavior, and functional communication training (FCT) is a commonly used treatment for problem behavior in clinical settings. During FCT, children learn prosocial ways to request functional reinforcers (e.g., "their way") instead of using problem behavior. For example, a child who engages in self-injury to escape math instruction may be taught to exchange a break picture card to receive a brief break from the math task as an alternative to self-injury. While the efficacy of FCT is well established, less is known about its effects in school settings when procedures are necessarily adapted for feasibility. The purpose of this investigation is to develop and evaluate methods for implementing FCT for children with IDDs in school settings. The investigators will use single case experimental design, in which each participant will serve as their own control, to address the research questions. First, the investigators will evaluate the effects of providing higher quality, longer duration reinforcement for appropriate requests relative to problem behavior (e.g., 1-minute break with a preferred activity versus 20-s break alone) during FCT compared to providing equal reinforcement for appropriate requests and problem behavior. Next, the investigators will develop a treatment extension to teach children to complete academic work to gain access to their way. The investigators will use visual cues, such as a green and red index card to teach children when it is time to work and when they may access their way. The investigators will evaluate the effects of the treatment extension on academic work completion, appropriate requests, and problem behavior. Finally, the investigators will examine how visual cues influence children's behavior when educators implement intervention across different academic activities. The investigators will measure the extent to which educators implement programmed intervention procedures to inform treatment feasibility.

Conditions

• Problem Behavior
• Intellectual Disability
• Developmental Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Functional communication training	Functional communication training (FCT) is a behavioral approach to treating problem behavior. During FCT, children learn to use communication to access reinforcers, instead of using problem behavior.

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-09-01
• Primary completion: 2022-12-20
• Completion: 2022-12-20
• First posted: 2022-07-06
• Last updated: 2023-03-14

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States