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| Contrived and Naturalistic Stimuli in Schedule Thinning During Functional Communication Training |
| Monday, May 26, 2025 |
| 12:00 PM–12:50 PM |
| Marriott Marquis, M4 Level, Liberty I-K |
| Area: AUT; Domain: Applied Research |
| Chair: Keelie Hotchkiss (University of Georgia ) |
| Discussant: William Sullivan (Golisano Children's Hospital & Center for Special Needs; SUNY Upstate Medical University) |
| CE Instructor: Keelie Hotchkiss, M.S. |
| Abstract: Functional Communication Training (FCT) often employs multiple schedules with contrived stimuli (e.g., colored cards) to indicate when reinforcement is available, enhancing the rate at which individuals can discriminate between reinforced and non-reinforced periods. Although this method speeds up learning, the use of contrived stimuli may increase response effort and contribute to social stigma, especially in community settings. This symposium examines two studies that investigate the effectiveness of naturalistic stimuli (e.g., reading a book) within multiple schedules in FCT. Findings suggest that while contrived stimuli promote faster discrimination, their application may be limited in real-world contexts due to social and practical constraints. To address these limitations, in study 1, a stimulus-fading procedure was evaluated to transfer stimulus control from contrived to naturalistic cues. In study 2, a multiple schedule was employed where the S-Delta was trained, but the SD was under divergent control. Results suggest that these methods can enable discriminated communication through naturalistic signals, offering a socially viable approach to schedule thinning in FCT. Clinical implications for implementing naturalistic stimuli to support sustainable, socially acceptable interventions will be discussed. |
| Instruction Level: Basic |
| Keyword(s): FCT, Multiple Schedules, Schedule Thinning, Stimulus Control |
| Target Audience: This presentation is designed for behavior analysts and professionals in applied behavior analysis who have foundational knowledge of Functional Communication Training (FCT) and are familiar with concepts like multiple schedules and schedule thinning. This session will provide actionable insights into the use of naturalistic stimuli to enhance treatment feasibility and address the limitations of contrived cues in real-world applications. |
Learning Objectives: 1. Identify socially viable approaches to schedule thinning in FCT by using naturalistic signals to maintain discriminated communication.
2. Demonstrate the application of naturalistic stimuli within multiple schedules in Functional Communication Training (FCT).
3. Apply stimulus-fading procedures to transfer stimulus control from contrived to naturalistic cues within FCT interventions.
4. Examine the benefits and methods of using naturalistic stimuli, rather than arbitrary cues, to signal reinforcement and extinction periods during schedule thinning in Functional Communication Training (FCT). |
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Transferring Stimulus Control From Contrived to Natural Stimuli in Multiple Schedules |
| KEELIE HOTCHKISS (University of Georgia), William Sullivan (Golisano Children's Hospital & Center for Special Needs; SUNY Upstate Medical University), Joel Eric Ringdahl (University of Georgia), Henry S. Roane (Upstate Medical University), Jacqueline D DeBartelo (Student at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology), Andrew R. Craig (SUNY Upstate Medical University) |
| Abstract: Multiple schedules with contrived stimuli are commonly used for schedule thinning in Functional Communication Training (FCT). To my knowledge, there have only been two studies that have compared multiple schedules with contrived stimuli (e.g., colored cards) versus naturally occurring stimuli (e.g., reading a book, speaking on the phone, etc.) during schedule thinning. Both studies found that contrived stimuli produced more rapid discrimination of the functional communication response (FCR), than naturally occurring stimuli. Despite the success of contrived stimuli, their utilization may come with various limitations, such as an increase in response effort to implement the intervention and social stigmatization for the child. The purpose of the current study was to assess a stimulus-fading procedure to transfer stimulus control from contrived to naturalistic stimuli in a multiple schedule following FCT. The results suggest that stimulus-fading can produce discriminated functional communication with natural stimuli in multiple schedules. Clinical implications will be discussed. |
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| Discriminated Functional Communication Through Training an Existing S-Delta |
| ELIZABETH PARTHUM (Mount St. Mary’s University, Emmitsburg, MD, USA), Griffin Rooker (Mount St. Mary's University), Kwadwo O. Britwum (Mount Saint Mary's University), Julie CROCHET (Mount St. Mary's University) |
| Abstract: Schedule thinning is essential for translating treatment efficacy to community effectiveness. Thinning the schedule of reinforcement in functional communication training (FCT) using a multiple schedule is a common and effective means to make treatment implementation more practical. Most commonly, two arbitrary stimuli (e.g., green and red cards) signal when reinforcement is available and when reinforcement is not available (S-Delta periods). As an alternative to using arbitrary stimuli, there are several reasons why using stimuli common to the context of harmful behavior as signals for periods of extinction may be important. In the current study, participants who engaged in harmful behavior maintained by access to tangibles were taught to verbally request their preferred tangibles, then to abstain from requesting when naturalistic stimuli in their environments (to which they had not previously attended) signaled that they were not available (but no signal was provided when reinforcement was available), replicating and extending prior work. |
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