1. Functional Assessment
Chapter 13
Functional Assessment

2. Treatment Process - Decreasing Problem Behaviors
1. Identify and define problem behavior(s)
2. Initiate data collection
3. Complete functional assessment
- Hypotheses about antecedents and consequences
4. Treatment development and implementation
5. Evaluation

3. 5. Evaluation (con’t)
Was treatment effective? (Did problem behaviors decrease/desirable behaviors increase?)
YES - Promote maintenance & generalization
NO - Was treatment done correctly?
YES Repeat step #3 (Functional Assessment)
NO Do it right

4. Behavioral Model
Behavior is influenced by antecedents and consequences A  B  C
- Consequences: reinforcement, extinction, punishment
- Antecedents: SD, S-delta, EO
Behavior is influenced by competing behaviors (concurrent operants)
- Desirable behaviors vs undesirable behaviors

5. Functional Assessment: What to Assess?
Antecedents: SDs SΔs EOs
- When, where, with whom, what circumstances or situations does the behavior occur?
- Social and environmental antecedents
Behavior: Problem behavior
Alternative behavior
Response effort
Consequences: Positive or negative reinforcement
- What does the person get or get out of following the behavior?
- Social and environmental consequences
Schedule of reinforcement
Magnitude of reinforcement
Immediacy of reinforcement

6. Categories of Reinforcement (Functions of Problem Behaviors)
Social positive reinforcement
attention, praise, reactions, activities, things
(mediated by others)
Social negative reinforcement
escape from tasks, activities, interactions
Automatic positive reinforcement
sensory stimulation
(not mediated by others)
Automatic negative reinforcement
relief from pain, anxiety, or other aversive stimulation

7. Examples A 4 year old’s tantrums 10 year old’s hair pulling
antecedents: requests during preferred activities
consequences: escape from requested activity
antecedents: told he can’t have something
consequences: gets the thing he asked for
10 year old’s hair pulling
antecedents: alone, negative thoughts and emotions
consequences: relief from negative thoughts/emotions
A 6 year old autisitc child’s hand waving
antecedents: not engaged in a task or interaction
consequences: visual stimulation

8. Examples 17 year old’s hair pulling/manipulation
Antecedents: Alone, watching TV
Consequences: tactile stimulation
17 year old’s hair pulling
Antecedents: watching TV, mom busy in the room
Consequences: attention
8 year old’s wrist biting
Antecedents: during tooth brushing, sore gums
Consequences: escape fro tooth brushing
18 year old’s binge eating
Antecedents: aloe, sad, negative thinking
Consequences: relief from negative feeling/thoughts

9. Functional Assessment Methods
1. Indirect (informant) assessment
- behavioral interview
- questionnaires and rating scales
2. Direct observation assessment
- scatter plot recording
- descriptive A-B-C recording
- checklist recording of A-B-Cs
- interval recording of A-B-Cs
3. Experimental manipulations
(functional analysis)
- manipulate antecedents and/or consequences
- evaluate a number of possible functions or
- test hypothesis from descriptive assessments

10. Conducting a Functional Assessment
Begin with an interview or other indirect assessment method
Develop a hypothesis about the antecedents and consequences (the function of the behavior)
Conduct direct observation assessments
Confirm or modify original hypothesis based on direct observation assessment
If assessments are consistent, develop and implement treatment that addresses the function of the behavior
If indirect and direct assessments are not consistent, conduct further functional assessments
Conduct functional analysis to confirm hypothesis or resolve inconsistency between indirect and direct assessment