Abstracts Communications and the Arts

An Overview of Functional Communication Training for Registered Behavior Technicians

by Christopher Dollinger

Functional Communication Training (FCT) is an intervention involving the differential reinforcement of an alternative response (DRA), in which an appropriate communicative response (e.g., asking for a break) is reinforced while the behavior targeted for decrease (e.g., hitting to get out of work) has reinforcement withheld in its presence. Individuals who work as registered behavior technicians (RBT), under the supervision of a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA), may implement FCT daily. With that being said, many individuals who choose to work as an RBT may not have as deep of an understanding of the concepts and principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) when compared to an individual such as a BCBA who completed higher education coursework relating directly to ABA. While RBTs are initially trained on the principles of ABA when completing an online learning course to become certified, this training covers a broad range of topics at a surface level. When considering the various principles of ABA that an RBT must become familiar with, it is understandable that this training course is unable to cover these topics extensively. However, to provide effective services as an RBT, a deeper level of understanding of these principles is imperative. A module was created to provide an overview and introduction to FCT and illustrate how it could be implemented in practice from the perspective of an RBT.