Autism Academy

Session Two: Functional Behavioral Assessment

3 Session 2 Agenda Elements of designing a good FBA How an FBA leads to an effective support plan Data collection Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan

What Do We Mean by “Behavior?” “The actions or reactions of persons or things under specified circumstances” Not ‘well-behaved’ or ‘bad behavior’, but “things we do All behavior occurs for a reason. Functional assessment tries to answer the question “Why does the challenging behavior occur?” 4Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan

September 19, 2008 What are some of the common functions of behavior? Some common functions of behavior: –Seeking attention: common, but often inaccurate if it’s the only function considered. –Escape or avoidance: avoiding a particular activity, person, group, unpleasant situation, uncomfortable, overwhelming or painful sensory stimuli, etc.

Premise: Behavior = Communication What is the child trying to communicate 1) what need does he or she have that has not been filled, or 2) what need does the behavior itself fulfill? Protecting one’s sense of well being is essential in order for people to feel happy, safe and comfortable. Inappropriate behaviors are often tell-tale signs that the child is not experiencing a sense of well-being. Many children with ASD’s tend to have very high anxiety levels and struggle to manage seemingly simple situations. Their need for safety and comfort may be greater than for typical children. If we understand this it might be easier to think of behavior as a form of communication. 6Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan

Common reasons for behavioral breakdowns for Children with ASD Need for sameness; consistency Need for predictability; knowing what will happen next Anxiety over many individual issues (i.e. perfectionism, social situations, etc.) Environmental/sensory needs (size of room, degree of noise, level of activity, etc.) Difficulty with movement, spatial or self-help skills Level of coping skills (recognizing overload, ability to problem solve, etc.) Ability to effectively communicate emotions and needs verbally Ability to interpret language directed toward them – both verbal and non-verbal 7Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan

When Do We Need an FBA? Struggling with disruptive behavior Showing signs of increased anxiety Having difficulty completing work (and there is a question of understanding vs. other interference) Not following expectations Having difficulty with sensory experiences Having difficulty with social skills/approaches to peers Resistant to authority/expectations Having trouble communicating effectively Experiencing sudden changes in behaviors (better or worse!) Experiencing any consistent barrier to success within the school building (or at home) Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan8

The Process Establish an appropriate team Clearly describe the behavior of concern Collect data on the problem area(s) Form a hypothesis based upon the data Test the validity of the hypothesis Use the results of the test to develop school-wide strategies and modifications Measure the results after strategies and modifications are in place – was it successful in accomplishing the goal ? Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan9

1. Establishing the team Teachers Related Service Providers Educational Assistants Parents Building Administrator Student Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan10

2. Clearly describe the behavior(s) Has the behavior been a problem for a long time with little or no improvement? Does the behavior involve aggression or damage to property? Is the behavior the result of the environment? Is the behavior the result of a skill deficit? Does he/she have the ability to learn and use the needed skill? What are the various perspectives among staff and family on how, when and where the behavior occurs? What are the signs the student exhibits that he/she is in the ‘rumbling stage’? Would an improvement in the behavior generate positive side effects (such as peer acceptance or improvement in grades)? Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan11

3. Collect data antecedent s? (what does the environment itself include that could elicit behaviors) What happens immediately before the behavior that could be the antecedent (but also consider known triggers that could happen earlier in the day) What does the behavior from the student look likebehavior What happens directly after the behavior (i.e. punishments, avoidance of work, etc.) as a positive or negative consequence Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan12

Data Collection Instruments Formal and informal interviews with staff, family members, and the child (when appropriate) Direct observation (by an objective third party) and documentation –Scatterplot charts showing the behavior over a period of time –Antecedent - Behavior - Consequence (ABC) or other charts –Environmental Assessment Review of records, current and prior Standardized Behavior Rating Scales Motivation assessments Reinforcer preference assessments Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan13

Medical Considerations Evaluate if the behavior has any medical causes, –Example: Ear infection/tooth ache causing head hitting, face pressing, etc.

Environmental Considerations Conditions present in the physical environment that may contribute to the target behavior. Consider many variables: –Furniture position –Lighting, heating, room temp –Personalized space (crowded area) –Who are they sitting next to in groups? During sessions, in the van? –Level of control over the environment.

Curricular Considerations Conditions within the individuals program that may contribute to the target behavior: Consider the following: –Program materials? –How long has the student been on this program/or step? –Is it too hard/easy? –Are the goals/steps functional for that individual? –What are their communication skills? –What is their schedule? –Does a task precipitate the behavior?

4. Develop a hypothesis Look for patterns of behavior: –Time of –Day of the week –Adults in the environment –Other students in the environment –Task or demand placed on the student Remember, kids with ASD’s have many sensitivities that are not common in the general population. Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan17

5. Test the hypothesis Once the team reaches a consensus of what the probable cause of the behavior might be, the hypothesis must be tested to be sure they are right. If they take the short route and simply take this information and develop strategies, they may be basing them on inaccurate assumptions. In that case, the strategies are probably not going to work, valuable time will be lost, and the inappropriate behavior will continue or worsen. Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan18

Medical Interventions to try

Enviornmental Interventions to try

Curricular Interventions to try Individual to skill match –Is the skill in the person’s repertoire ? If no, teach the skill. Task to curriculum match –Does a task when assessed in the context of an individual’s current curriculum, appear to be of significantly greater complexity or difficulty than the remainder of the curriculum tasks. If yes, restructure the task

Curricular Interventions cont. Individual to task match –Is this task boring or simply disliked? If yes, try one of the below: –Decrease the duration of the task –Developing a completion criteria to the task –Providing alternative tasks –Establishing a relevance to the task to the student’s environment –Increase the reinforcer for the task –Discontinue the task

Scatter plot exercise Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan23

ABC exercise Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan24

Interview exercise Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan25

6. Use the results to develop a support plan Improving student skill deficit areas Enhancing student motivation De-emphasizing adult control as a main component of BIP Modify/changing antecedent circumstances Modify/changing consequential circumstances Presenting and practicing alternative student response options that are acceptable and practical Modify/adjust/changing curriculum requirements, instructional methodologies and/or strategies Modify/adjust/changing educational setting, class environment and/or physical attributes of the instructional location Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan26

September 19, 2008 Skill Deficits v. Performance Deficits Is the behavior a skill deficit or a performance deficit? –Skill deficit: Student cannot do this. Lacks necessary information or component skill. –Performance deficit: Motivation, might perform skill on one setting but has not generalized to another, etc. –Caution – You often cannot tell! Which assumption provides the least potential damage to the relationship?

7. Measure the results For any inappropriate behavior for which the team has collected data, a focus should be on three areas: – 1) the rate of reduction of the problem behavior, – 2) the rate of increase in use of alternate skills, and – 3) the positive side effects resulting from the improved behavior (i.e. peer acceptance, grades improve, etc.) Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan28

Pop Quiz 1. All behavior serves a function of some kind. Which question does NOT help identify the function of a targeted behavior? A.How effective has the behavior worked for the child in the past? B.How many kinds of behaviors does the child have? Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan29

Pop Quiz 2. Which of the following is NOT a component of an effective functional behavior assessment? A.Define the problem area(s) and goal B.Have one person collect the data and develop interventions Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan30

Pop Quiz 3. Which types of behavior would NOT be considered a priority when choosing behaviors to target? A.Behaviors that involve safety B.Behaviors that irritate the teacher Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan31

Pop Quiz 4. When collecting data on the results of the implementation of a support plan, which of the following would you NOT want to focus on? A.Rate of reduction of the targeted behavior and rate of increase in the use of alternate skills B.Reduction of the teacher’s time with the child Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan32

Pop Quiz 5. Which would NOT be a reason for the team to ‘celebrate their successes’? A.Skills in developing future plans will improve B.To maintain a consistent schedule Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan33

Functional Behavioral Assessment Conclusion –Successfully determining behavioral function will increase the success of the treatment –Communication problems are the most common cause of Aggression/SIB/Tantrums This is well documented in research –Design data collection carefully and always use your data for analysis and evaluation of the treatment plan.

References D/FBABIP.shtmlhttp://lcps.k12.nm.us/Departments/SPE D/FBABIP.shtml Created by Lori Comallie-Caplan35