Improving Treatment for Children With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Problem Behavior in Schools

NCT ID: NCT05445596

Last Updated: 2023-03-14

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: TERMINATED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 1 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2022-09-01
• Study Completion Date: 2022-12-20

Brief Summary

Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) often engage in problem behavior, and functional communication training (FCT) is a commonly used treatment for problem behavior in clinical settings. During FCT, children learn prosocial ways to request functional reinforcers (e.g., "their way") instead of using problem behavior. For example, a child who engages in self-injury to escape math instruction may be taught to exchange a break picture card to receive a brief break from the math task as an alternative to self-injury. While the efficacy of FCT is well established, less is known about its effects in school settings when procedures are necessarily adapted for feasibility. The purpose of this investigation is to develop and evaluate methods for implementing FCT for children with IDDs in school settings. The investigators will use single case experimental design, in which each participant will serve as their own control, to address the research questions. First, the investigators will evaluate the effects of providing higher quality, longer duration reinforcement for appropriate requests relative to problem behavior (e.g., 1-minute break with a preferred activity versus 20-s break alone) during FCT compared to providing equal reinforcement for appropriate requests and problem behavior. Next, the investigators will develop a treatment extension to teach children to complete academic work to gain access to their way. The investigators will use visual cues, such as a green and red index card to teach children when it is time to work and when they may access their way. The investigators will evaluate the effects of the treatment extension on academic work completion, appropriate requests, and problem behavior. Finally, the investigators will examine how visual cues influence children's behavior when educators implement intervention across different academic activities. The investigators will measure the extent to which educators implement programmed intervention procedures to inform treatment feasibility.

Conditions

Problem Behavior; Intellectual Disability; Developmental Disorder

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

FCT Evaluation

This study uses single case experimental design in which participants will serve as their own control. Each participant will receive the treatment (functional communication training) and will participate in comparison conditions to evaluate the effects of the treatment. We will evaluate the effects of functional communication training during three treatment phases: initial implementation, schedule thinning, and generalization.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Functional communication training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Functional communication training (FCT) is a behavioral approach to treating problem behavior. During FCT, children learn to use communication to access reinforcers, instead of using problem behavior.

Interventions

Functional communication training

Functional communication training (FCT) is a behavioral approach to treating problem behavior. During FCT, children learn to use communication to access reinforcers, instead of using problem behavior.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Child Eligibility Criteria

• Preschool or elementary school students between 3-11 years old
• Has an intellectual or developmental disability
• Has a functional behavior assessment and behavior intervention plan or has been identified as needing a functional behavior assessment
• Exhibits problem behavior that occurs at least daily

Adult Eligibility Criteria

• Educator who provides direct services to the child participant

Exclusion Criteria

• Excessive absences from school
• Problem behavior occurs less frequently than daily

• Minimum Eligible Age: 3 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 11 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Western Kentucky University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States

Countries

United States

Provided Documents

Document Type: Study Protocol

View Document

Document Type: Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

5P20GM103436-22

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

21-037

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id