Effectiveness of Functional Communication Training on Reducing Problem Behaviors: A Descriptive and Meta-Analysis Study

It is currently a well-known fact that problem behaviors serve to various functions, such as communicating, and also believed that if communication skills are being taught, problem behaviors will decrease. Teaching functional communication skills is one of techniques to deal with problem behaviors. Twenty-seven studies using single subject research designs and aiming at decreasing problem behaviors by using teaching functional communication skills were considered to be investigated in the current meta-analysis study. Studies at first were summarized descriptively and then examined using meta-analysis by effect-size calculations. Results are being discussed based on related literature and suggestions are being provided.