Reinforcement-schedule thinning practices during functional communication training: A survey of behavior analysts

Abstract

Researchers have investigated several schedule-thinning approaches during functional communication training (FCT), including FCT with delay schedules (Delay FCT), FCT with discriminative stimuli (Signaled FCT), and FCT with delay-and-denial tolerance training (DDTT). Despite many publications on these approaches, it is unclear how regularly, how often, and under what conditions behavior analysts use these FCT thinning strategies. We analyzed survey data from 129 board-certified behavior analysts® to determine (a) how often they use the three thinning approaches during FCT, (b) their most preferred thinning method, and (c) the variables (e.g., years of experience, treatment setting) associated with their most used and preferred approaches. DDTT was the most commonly implemented and preferred FCT thinning strategy. Relative to DDTT, Signaled FCT was more frequently used and preferred by doctoral-level behavior analysts and those working in clinical settings. However, regardless of approach, behavior analysts reported several challenges that hold implications for practice and research.