Extending functional communication training to multiple language contexts in bilingual learners with challenging...

Area of Science:

• * Applied Behavior Analysis
• * Special Education
• * Developmental Psychology

Background:

• * Limited research exists on adapting evidence-based practices, such as functional communication training (FCT), for bilingual learners with disabilities.
• * Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and challenging behaviors often present with diverse linguistic backgrounds.
• * The need for culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate interventions is critical in supporting these learners.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To investigate the effectiveness of adapting FCT for bilingual children with ASD and challenging behaviors.
• * To examine the impact of single-language versus dual-language FCT on communication and behavior.
• * To evaluate the efficacy of
• repair the message
• training in facilitating cross-linguistic communication.

Main Methods:

• * Case study of two children with ASD and challenging behavior, with Spanish as the home language and English as the school language.
• * Implementation of traditional, single-language FCT followed by a dual-language FCT approach incorporating
• repair the message
• training.
• * Systematic replication of previous findings regarding language generalization and extinction in alternative language contexts.

Main Results:

• * Single-language FCT did not lead to the emergence of mands in the untrained language and resulted in the resurgence of challenging behavior.
• * Dual-language FCT, including
• repair the message
• training, enabled children to successfully obtain reinforcement in both Spanish and English.
• * Challenging behavior was significantly reduced following the implementation of the dual-language FCT approach.

Conclusions:

• * Traditional, single-language FCT is insufficient for bilingual learners with ASD, as it does not promote cross-linguistic generalization.
• * Explicit, dual-language FCT, coupled with
• repair the message
• training, is an effective strategy for improving communication and reducing challenging behaviors in bilingual children with ASD.
• * This study highlights the importance of linguistically responsive interventions for diverse student populations.