Chapter 13 — Functional Assessment

Question 1

What is functional assessment (FBA — functional behaviour assessment)?

Answer 1

A set of procedures that allow relationships between a behaviour and its antecedents and consequences to be determined.

Question 2

What are categories of information provided by FBA (functional behaviour assessment)?

Answer 2

• Objective description of antecedents
• Objective description of problem behaviours
• Objective description of consequences
• Motivational variables (EOs, AOs)
• Potential reinforcers
• Potential alternative/competing behaviours
• Effectiveness of previous interventions

Question 3

What are functions of problem behaviours?

Answer 3

• Negative reinforcement (problem behaviours can cease trainings)
• Positive reinforcement (social reinforcement or sensory reinforcement)

Question 4

What are indirect methods in functional assessment?

Answer 4

Data on antecedents, behaviours, and consequences are collected from the target person or others who know them well based on their memory of what happened.

Question 5

What are pros and cons of indirect methods?

Answer 5

Pros:
- Fast and easy to do

Cons:
- Less accurate: rely on fallible memory
- Only provide correlation between antecedent/consequences and behaviour

Question 6

What are direct observation methods?

Answer 6

Data on antecedents, behaviours, and consequences is gathered as the behaviour occurs in its natural environment.

Question 7

What is unstructured direct observation?

Answer 7

Observations are made without altering events in the environment in any way.

Question 8

What is structured direct observation?

Answer 8

Specific antecedents in the environment are systematically manipulated, and results are recorded; however consequences are not altered.

Question 9

What is scatterplot analysis?

Answer 9

Recording period is divided into intervals; every half hour, if the behaviour has occurred one cell of the grid is shaded in (interval recording styles).

Question 10

What are ABC (antecedent, behaviours, consequent) observations?

Answer 10

Record antecedents, behaviours, and consequences under normal conditions as they occur.

Question 11

What are methods of ABC observations?

Answer 11

• Descriptive method with columns
• Checklist method for previously described elements
• Interval recording method

Question 12

What are the pros and cons of ABC observation methods?

Answer 12

Pros:
- More accurate: do not rely on fallible memory

Cons:
- Involve more work and time to record and summarize
- Only provide correlation between antecedent/consequences and behaviour

Question 13

What are experimental methods of functional analysis?

Answer 13

An experimenter systematically manipulates antecedents and consequences to determine their effect on the target behaviour in a structured situation.

Question 14

What are exploratory and hypothesis testing experimental methods?

Answer 14

Exploratory: to determine patterns of relationships that are not yet clear.

Hypothesis testing: to confirm predictions from informant or descriptive assessment.

Question 15

What are the steps in how to conduct a functional assessment?

Answer 15

1. Use indirect methods first
2. Formulate a hypothesis about possible antecedents and consequences of the behaviour
3. Perform direct observation
4. Determine if data from direct observation support the hypothesis
5. If all assessments are consistent, develop behaviour support plan that addresses the function of the behaviour
6. If assessments are inconsistent, conduct functional analysis to confirm hypothesis

Question 16

What are the next steps after completing a functional assessment?

Answer 16

Develop a behaviour support/intervention plan which includes:
- Summary of data gathered
- Hypothesis of function
- Functional intervention: choose procedures for behaviour change and support