The noncompliant behavior of a severely multihandicapped 6-year-old boy was modified through an antecedent manipulation. Responding to teacher requests within 5 seconds was measured under three conditions: decreased commands, increased commands, and unconditional commands with contingent consequation. A multielement design employed across conditions demonstrated that the use of increased commands was the most effective condition for controlling behavior. Commands issued at a frequent and consistent pace reduced inappropriate responding to zero, suggesting the potential of this antecedent as an alternative to purely contingency-based systems for decreasing noncompliance. (Twenty-six references are listed and a figure showing percentage of noncompliant responses to staff requests is appended.) (Author/CL)