Suzannah K. Avery

1 INTRODUCTION Individuals with developmental disabilities engage in higher rates of challenging behavior compared to their typically developing peers (Antonacci et al., 2008; Crocker, et al., 2006; Poppes et al., 2010). About 40% of individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) engage in challenging behavior (Kanne & Mazurek, 2011). If challenging behaviors are left untreated, they may continue or even worsen over an individual's lifetime (Horner et al., 2002).

1 INTRODUCTION Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) engage in higher rates of challenging behavior when compared to their typically developing peers (McClintock et al., 2003; Oliver et al., 2012). Moreover, children diagnosed with a developmental disability are more likely to engage in challenging behavior associated with specific stimuli or events (Conyers et al., 2004; Matson et al., 2008; Schumacher & Rapp, 2010; Slifer et al., 2008).

Functional communication training (FCT) is a highly effective intervention to reduce challenging behavior. However, continuous reinforcement of the functional communicative response typically used during FCT cannot be maintained in natural settings. Reinforcement schedule thinning addresses this drawback.