A Single-Arm Pilot Trial for Mitigating Relapse of Severe Problem Behavior
Who can join
Ages 6 to 17 · All sexes
Full eligibility criteria
We will include individuals between the ages of 6 to 17 with IDD who have at least one topography of SPB that is maintained by social positive (e.g., attention, access to preferred items) reinforcement. The age range is driven by the need to maximize the number of participants; there is no evidence to suggest that age is a relevant variable regarding relapse of SPB.
About the study
The goal of this study is to improve how we teach self-control and communication skills to children and adolescents with challenging behaviors. Researchers aim to find ways to make behavior-change treatments more effective and long-lasting, even when the environment or reinforcement schedules change.
The main questions this study will answer are:
Can innovative techniques help children maintain learned skills, such as asking for attention or waiting for rewards, when faced with new people, places, or situations? How do cognitive and behavioral factors, like memory, timing, and decision-making, affect the success of treatments?
Participants in this study will:
Complete assessments to identify preferred activities and understand the causes of challenging behaviors.
Learn communication skills to replace challenging behaviors, such as tantrums or crying, with more appropriate actions like asking for attention.
Participate in activities designed to understand their individual responses to different types of rewards and delays.
What is being tested
- Functional Communication Training (behavioral)
- Extinction-Correlated Stimuli (behavioral)
- Caregiver Fading (behavioral)
- Structured-Probe Schedule Thinning (behavioral)
- Multiple-Context Generalization Training (behavioral)
Sponsor: Auburn University · Participants: 10 · Started: Nov 14, 2024
Contact the study team
- John M Falligant, PhD · Phone: 334-844-4412
- Patricia Kurtz, PhD · Phone: 443-923-2894
Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT06732219
Locations in the U.S.
| Alabama | Auburn University, Auburn |
| Maryland | Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore (Not yet recruiting) |
Conditions
From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.