What is Skill Based Treatment (SBT) and Why Does it Work?
Skill Based Treatment, or SBT, is a structured, research supported approach for reducing severe challenging behavior by teaching students the skills they need to succeed safely at school.
SBT focuses on three core areas:
- Functional communication
- Tolerance skills, such as waiting and accepting “no”
- Context appropriate behaviors needed for school participation
Although SBT may sound new, it is built on well established behavior analytic principles, including Functional Communication Training (FCT), shaping, reinforcement, and the gradual increase of expectations. What makes SBT different is that these strategies are organized into a clear, systematic sequence and have been studied extensively with students who struggle with intense or dangerous behavior.
SBT works because it directly addresses the function of behavior. Instead of only reacting to aggression, elopement, or disruption, it teaches students how to:
- Ask appropriately for what they need
- Tolerate delay or denial
- Complete expectations safely
Research on Practical Functional Assessment and Skill Based Treatment has demonstrated meaningful reductions in severe behavior and improvements in functional skills across school and home settings (Hanley et al., 2014; Slaton et al., 2024).
At its core, SBT works because students learn a reliable, appropriate way to get their needs met without escalating behavior.
Who is SBT for?
SBT is most often appropriate for students who:
- Engage in severe aggression, self injury, or property destruction
- Escalate quickly when demands are placed
- Struggle significantly with transitions or denial
- Have not responded to traditional token systems or behavior charts
It is particularly helpful for students whose behavior is socially mediated, meaning it is influenced by adult responses.
Can Schools Really Implement SBT?
This is where things become more complex. Many schools do not implement full SBT protocols because:
- They do not have a dedicated implementation room
- Staff buy-in may be inconsistent
- Pull out time may be limited
- Staffing and training capacity may be constrained
A key component of early SBT is practicing skills in a highly controlled environment before generalizing back to the classroom. That often requires temporarily pulling a student into a quieter, lower demand space.
If a school is unwilling or unable to provide that structure, implementation becomes more challenging.
However, SBT can be adapted.
How Can SBT Be Adapted for Schools?
When full implementation is not feasible, teams may:
- Start with functional communication training within the classroom
- Use brief pull out sessions during lower demand periods
- Embed tolerance practice into existing routines
- Prioritize safety and rapport before academic demands
- Gradually generalize skills across teachers and settings
The sequence matters:
- Build rapport and reduce triggers
- Teach functional communication
- Teach tolerance to small amounts of delay or denial
- Slowly introduce classroom expectations
- Thin reinforcement and increase independence
Even when schools cannot replicate a clinical setup, the principles can still be applied thoughtfully and ethically.
Is SBT Just Functional Communication Training?
In many ways, yes.
SBT is built on Functional Communication Training and shaping. What differentiates it is that it organizes these procedures into a systematic sequence and pairs them with a synthesized functional assessment process.
It is not revolutionary. It is a well researched package of strategies that behavior analysts have used for decades.
The value comes from:
- Clear sequencing
- Strong data collection
- Careful reinforcement thinning
- Research demonstrating effectiveness for severe cases
When Might SBT Not Be a Good Fit?
SBT may not be appropriate when:
- The behavior is primarily automatically maintained
- Medical or sleep factors are driving behavior
- The school cannot safely implement the protocol
- Staff training and supervision are insufficient
A BCBA should evaluate readiness before recommending SBT in a school.
What Should Parents Ask Their School Team?
If you are a parent, you might ask:
- What is the function of my child’s behavior?
- How are we teaching functional communication?
- Are we teaching tolerance skills, not just compliance?
- How will skills generalize across teachers?
- What training will staff receive?
These questions help ensure that any approach, whether labeled SBT or not, is truly function-based and skill building.
Final Thoughts
Skill Based Treatment in schools is not a magic solution. It is a structured, research supported way to teach the communication and coping skills students need to succeed.
When implemented thoughtfully and with school collaboration, it can significantly reduce severe behavior and increase instructional access.
When schools face structural barriers, teams can still apply the core principles of functional communication and shaping to move students forward.
Sources
- Hanley, G. P., Jin, C. S., Vanselow, N. R., & Hanratty, L. A. (2014). Producing meaningful improvements in problem behavior of children with autism via synthesized analyses and treatments. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.
- Jessel, J., Hanley, G. P., & Ghaemmaghami, M. (2016). Interview informed synthesized contingency analyses: Thirty replications and reanalysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.
- Santiago, J. L., Hanley, G. P., Moore, K., & Jin, C. S. (2016). The generality of interview informed functional analyses and treatment across school and home. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.
- Slaton, J. D., et al. (2024). Long term effectiveness and generality of practical functional assessment and skill based treatment in a specialized school setting. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.
- Layman, L. N., et al. (2023). A review and meta analysis of interview informed synthesized contingency analysis and skill based treatment research. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
