A functional analysis of verbal interactions of drug-exposed children and their mothers: the utility of sequential analysis.

Sequential analysis was used to conduct a functional analysis of positive and negative behaviors of five prenatally drug-exposed preschoolers while interacting with their mothers and with an unrelated adult on separate occasions. Videotaped interactions were coded for positive and negative verbal and nonverbal behaviors. Functional relations between child's target behaviors and adults' antecedent and consequent behaviors were identified and resulted in positive-compliant and negative-coercive classes of behavior. All dyads demonstrated positive-compliant patterns. Two mother-child dyads engaged in extended sequences of negative-coercive interactions whereas the unrelated adult terminated negative exchanges quickly. These sequential data suggest the need for developing specific behavioral training programs for mothers of drug-exposed children and other significant adults.