From Functional Analysis of Disruptive Behaviors to Functional Communication Training with Brazilian Children with Autism

Disruptive behaviors can function as mands and this may limit speaker-listener interactions. In the current study, our objective was to empirically examine the function of disruptive behaviors in three Brazilian children with ASD to ultimately reduce the frequency of these behaviors. We conducted a functional analysis of disruptive behaviors and then taught participants to mand for access to tangible items based on the results of this assessment. All participants learned to emit mands and the frequency of their disruptive behaviors decreased as a result of the intervention. These current results confirm the effectiveness of using functional analysis technology to generate data that can guide intervention selection.