Updated Recommendations for Reinforcement Schedule Thinning following Functional Communication Training

Discriminative stimuli promote the efficacy of delay tolerance training.

“…Schedule thinning often results in a loss of therapeutic effects. The challenge of poor discriminated use of the FCR, including loss of or high rates of the FCR during extinction intervals, has resulted in many schedule thinning approaches incorporating arbitrary discriminative stimuli (Hagopian et al, 2011; Kranak & Brown, 2024). Despite the known benefits of incorporating these stimuli, they may not be widely viewed as socially or ecologically valid (Boyle et al, 2021).…”

“…Although clinicians often use arbitrary discriminative stimuli during schedule thinning given its empirical support (Hagopian et al, 2011; Kranak & Brown, 2024; Saini et al, 2016), these stimuli can have broad social and ecological validity concerns (Boyle et al, 2021). As a result, clinicians may find themselves in a predicament if naturalistic stimuli are not effective for a given client, but socially valid for the client and/or the stakeholders.…”

“…Further research is needed to investigate behavioral capacity predictive behavioral markers for schedule thinning treatments and should closely monitor for potentially different predictors between schedule thinning approaches. This important line of inquiry is likely to result in individualized treatments that are more effective, efficient, and durable (Wacker et al, 2011(Wacker et al, , 2017 Although clinicians often use arbitrary discriminative stimuli during schedule thinning given its empirical support (Hagopian et al, 2011;Kranak & Brown, 2024;Saini et al, 2016), these stimuli can have broad social and ecological validity concerns (Boyle et al, 2021). As a result, clinicians may find themselves in a predicament if naturalistic stimuli are not effective for a given client, but socially valid for the client and/or the stakeholders.…”

“…Following FCT, reinforcement schedule thinning is critical to promote generality of the intervention outside clinic settings (Hagopian et al, 1998). Fortunately, much research has been devoted to examining the efficacy of various schedule thinning approaches and procedures (see Hagopian et al, 2011; Kranak & Brown, 2024). During FCT, schedule thinning typically entails incrementally increasing the delay to access the functional reinforcer (e.g., multiple schedule; for a review, see Saini et al, 2016) or the number of alternative responses required before the reinforcer is available (e.g., chained schedule; Fisher et al, 1993; Greer et al, 2016).…”

Application of a terminal schedule probe method to inform schedule thinning with multiple schedules

“…The applied literature describes schedule thinning within a multiple-schedule arrangement as one method to create feasible and durable behavioral interventions (Hagopian et al, 2011;Kranak & Brown, 2024;Saini et al, 2016). During treatment for challenging behavior, multiple schedules include one schedule component that correlates with availability of a functional reinforcer contingent on a specific alternative behavior (S D ; discriminative stimulus), such as a functional communication response (FCR).…”