This study evaluated the effects of a pyramidal model using behavior skills training (BST) to implement functional communication training (FCT) across caretaker-child triads on procedural integrity of implementation for adult participants and reductions in precursor and problem behavior and increases in functional communication responses for the child participant. A multiple-baseline across groups study was conducted across three adult-child triads. In classroom settings, two of the triads consisted of a teacher, paraprofessional, and an elementary aged male with autism. One of the triads consisted of a mother, father, and 5-year-old male with autism with sessions taking place in the home. All six adult participants learned to implement FCT with high fidelity with three of these participants learning FCT implementation from the researcher and the other three learning it from another participant. All adults rated both FCT and BST as being acceptable using a social validity questionnaire. All child participants emitted a functional communication response (FCR) during the study although they did not exhibit fluent use of the FCR, nor did their precursor and problem behavior reduce completely.
