Harnessing Communication Preferences to Enhance Its Persistence and Mitigate Relapse of Challenging Behavior

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate how preference for communication approach (e.g., using a touch talker versus picture cards) impacts treatment maintenance in the context of treatment to reduce challenging behavior exhibited by individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. As well, the clinical trial will evaluate how this preference impacts treatment relapse when care providers implement intervention and will identify potential demographic variables (e.g., age and symptom severity) that affect outcomes.

The main question[s] it aims to answer [is/are]:

Preferred communication strategies will persist to a greater extent when intervention is disrupted, relative to less preferred communication strategies.

Communication modality preference will increase persistence for individuals with lower pre-experimental symptom severity scores and higher pre-experimental communication functioning scores. We predict demographic characteristics and developmental level will not impact intervention outcomes.

Two groups will be compared. Group 1 will receive initial intervention using a preferred communication strategy. Group 2 will receive initial intervention using a non preferred, but effective, communication strategy. Intervention type will then be reversed. Researchers will compare preferred and non preferred interventions on continued expression of the communication strategy when intervention is challenged.

Participants will exhibit alternative appropriate communicative behavior as a means of replacing/reducing challenging behavior. This will take place using (a) preferred communication strategies and (b) non preferred communication strategies. Following successful intervention with each type of communication, intervention will be challenged and continued use of the communication strategy will be measured.