An evaluation of durability during and following delay-and-denial tolerance teaching

Across five treatment applications, we evaluated two forms of treatment relapse (renewal, resurgence) with a version of functional communication training known as delay-and-denial tolerance teaching. Renewal of challenging behavior following a context change occurred for most treatments, but challenging behavior did not increase to clinically significant levels in most cases. Resurgence of challenging behavior following decrements in alternative reinforcement occurred only in two of five extinction tests when communication responses were placed on extinction. Omitting alternative activities during extinction tests led to an appreciable increase in resurgence for one of the three participants who did not display resurgence initially. Despite promising findings during the extinction test, resurgence frequently occurred during most treatments when thinning reinforcement for communication responses. When resurgence occurred during schedule thinning, it tended to be at clinically significant magnitudes. We discuss these findings in relation to the larger literature on treatment relapse.