The investigation of the efficacy of functional communication teaching to reduction of problem behaviors and increasing on-task behaviors of a child with autism spectrum disorders

In this study, the effectiveness of functional communication teaching in reducing the problem behaviors of a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study was carried out in Bolu with two children identified among the twenty-three children who were diagnosed with ASD, had the necessary preconditioning skills for the research, had intense problem behaviors, and were volunteers for their parents' participation in the study. One of the children was involved in pilot practice and the other in real practice. The participant who participated in the actual practice continues his education for 4 years in the autism class which is a subclass of a primary school in Bolu. The study was basically carried out in two stages. In the first step, functions of the participant's problem behaviors (throwing, tapping and biting) was determined by "Functional Evaluation Screening Tool" (Tekin-İftar 2012) and Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence Model; in the second step, communication skills with similar functions as problem behaviors (using a communication card to request a break and dealing with activities appropriate to the level) were taught to participants. One of the single subject research designs, a multiple probe designs across settings was used in this study. Baseline phase, intervention phase and follow-up sessions were organized. The generalization phase in the study is not implemented as the function of the problem behavior can be affected from different setting. The data for each event was collected using event and duration recording techniques. In practice, functional communication skills are taught to the participant through the process of differential reinforcement of alternative behaviors. Initiation, intervention, and follow-up sessions were conducted in home, classroom, and gymnasium environments where the participant's problem behaviors were most visible. Findings about the social validity of the method used in the research were obtained from the data obtained by subjective evaluation from the participant's mother. As a result of the research, it was seen that the problem behaviors of the child with ASD showed problem behaviors in order to obtain object and escape from a difficult task, communication skills with the same functions as these problem behaviors have been decreased when taught with functional communication teaching. At the same time, the participant's on-task behavior was increased. Keywords: Functional communication teaching, functional assessment, problem behavior, on-task behavior, autism spektrum disorders.