Refinements of Functional Communication Training

Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age3-17
SponsorRutgers, The State University of New Jersey

About this trial

Although treatments for problem behavior, like functional communication training (FCT), can be highly effective in the clinic, changes in the way the FCT is implemented (e.g., when transferring treatment to the home, when teachers implement treatment with poor fidelity) can result in treatment relapse. The goal of this study is to evaluate whether using treatment signals and gradually introducing materials from natural contexts can help mitigate treatment relapse during context changes and poor treatment-integrity scenarios.

Eligibility criteria

Qualifiers

Boys and girls from ages 3 to 17

Destructive behavior that occurs at least 10 times a day despite previous treatment

Destructive behavior reinforced by social consequences like attention (FCT is not appropriate for automatically reinforced destructive behavior)

On a stable psychoactive drug regimen for at least 10 half-lives per drug or drug free

Disqualifiers

Patients who do not meet the inclusion criteria

Patients currently receiving 15 or more hours per week of treatment for their destructive behavior

DSM-5 diagnosis of Rett syndrome or other degenerative conditions (e.g., inborn error of metabolism)

A comorbid health condition or major mental disorder that would interfere with study participation

Trial design

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Trad FCT
  • Mult FCT
  • Mult FCT + Stimulus Fading

Treatment groups

24 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups