What does "functional communication training" involve?

Functional communication training (FCT) is centered on helping individuals develop effective communication skills to meet their needs and express their desires in appropriate ways. This approach is particularly beneficial for individuals who may exhibit challenging behaviors due to difficulty in communication. By focusing on teaching these individuals how to communicate more effectively, FCT aims to replace maladaptive behaviors with functional communication that serves the same purpose.

The correct answer emphasizes the broader goal of equipping individuals with the necessary skills to express themselves, thereby enhancing their ability to interact with others and navigate their environments successfully. Essentially, FCT acknowledges that many problematic behaviors stem from an inability to communicate desires or needs and seeks to address this by providing the appropriate communication tools.

Other options, while they touch on aspects related to communication, do not encapsulate the core objective of FCT. Training in sign language, for instance, is a specific skill set that can be part of functional communication but does not cover all forms of effective communication methods utilized within FCT. Similarly, redirecting attention during communication and training individuals to ignore others do not align with the primary goal of fostering effective communication strategies. Instead, these options might lead to avoidance or misaligned interaction patterns that do not enhance overall communicative ability.