A comparison of positive practice and functional communication training in the treatment of challenging behavior.

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to compare positive practice and a function-based intervention in reducing challenging behaviors. The present thesis included a systematic review of the literature and a single-case research study. The systematic review was conducted to identify and synthesize the existing literature on the use of positive practice to reduce challenging behaviors in children with disabilities. The database search resulted in the identification of 30 studies that have evaluated the efficacy of positive practice in reducing challenging behavior for children with developmental disabilities. The purpose of the single-case research study was to compare the efficacy of functional communication training and positive practice. One 7-year-old with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) participated in the study. The study used an alternating treatment design to compare positive practice and functional communication training. The results of the study indicated that functional communication training was more effective at reducing challenging behaviors than positive practice.