Assessment Flashcards
Four phases of Intervention
- Assessment
- Planning
- Implementation
- Evaluation
Purpose of an Assessment
- To identify and define targets for behavior change
2. Guides us to create effective and positive interventions.
Five Phases of Assessment
- Screening and General Deposition
- Defining and Quantifying Problems or Desired Achievement Criteria
- Pinpointing Target Behaviors to be Treated
- Monitoring Progress
- Following-up
A systematic method for obtaining information about the FUNCTION challenging behaviors serve for an individual.
Involves a variety of methods including direct observations, interviews, checklists, and tests to identify targets for behavior change.
Assessment (Functional Behavior Assessment)
Before you conduct an assessment, you must:
Ask this critical question: Who has the Authority, Permission, Resources, and Skills to complete an assessment and intervene with the behavior ?
And obtain the client’s or client-surrogate’s approval in writing of the behavior assessment procedures before implementing them.
Data obtained from recollections, reconstructions, or subjective ratings of events.
- Interviews
- Checklists
Indirect Measures
Allows us to make empirically-based hypotheses for WHY behaviors occurs.
Discovers resources, assets, significant others, competing contingencies, maintenance and generalization factors, and potential reinforcers and/or punishers that may be included in intervention plans.
Assessment (FBA)
Provide information about a person’s behavior as it occurs.
PREFERRED CHOICE over indirect measures.
- Tests
- Direct Observations
Direct Measures
Starts the hypotheses development process.
Should only be used as a supplement to other FBA methods.
Indirect Measures
Four ways to acquire information for assessment:
- Checklists (Behavior Checklist)
- Observation (Direct Observation)
- Interviews (Structured Behavioral Interviews)
- Tests (Standardized Tests)
Review all records and available data (data collected from a previous agency, from the school, etc.).
This is part of your INDIRECT FBA.
Review records and data at the outset of the case
Likert scales.
Alone or with interview and rating scales.
Asks about antecedents and consequences of the target behavior.
Checklists
Direct and repeated in the natural environment
Identifies potential target behaviors
Preferred method
Observation (Direct Observation)
Basic form of direct observation
Temporally sequenced description of behavior patterns
Requires total attention of observer for about 20-30 minutes
Carried out for several days to decrease reactivity effects
ANECDOTAL OBSERVATION (ABC Recording)
Consistent Administration is key!
Most _________ ________ do NOT work well with functional behavior assessments because results are not translated directly into target behaviors.
Test/Standardized Tests
First step in identifying list of behaviors, which can be used later in direct observation.
Interviews/Structured Behavioral Interviews
RULE OUT MEDICAL CAUSES FOR PROBLEM BEHAVIOR.
Refer client to undergo medical evaluation.
If biological/medical variables are affecting the behavior, then there may be NO need for behavior analytic services.
If NO biological/medical variables are affecting the behavior, then there may be a need for behavior analytic services.
You should recommend seeking a medical consultation if there is any reasonable possibility that a referred behavior is a result of a medication side effect or some biological cause.
Consider Biological/Medical Variables that may be Affecting the Client
Review all records and available data (data collected from a previous agency, from school, etc.)
Part of the indirect assessment
Review Records and Data at the Outset of the Case
Conduct an indirect assessment to start your identification and hypothesis process.
Ask yourself these questions, to see if there is a need for intervention:
1) Does the individual’s behavior pose a danger to self or others?
2) Does the behavior affect the client’s well-being?
3) Does the behavior prevent the client from accessing less restrictive environments in various settings?
- Is the client separated from same-aged peers?
- Is the client in jeopardy of losing placement?
4) How does the behavior compare to same-aged, typically developing peers?
Conduct A Preliminary Assessment of the Client in Order to Identify the Referral Problem
When speaking with others, you want to be careful about using very complicated, technical behavior-analytic language. (but be careful: DON’T USE MENTALISTIC LANGUAGE EITHER).
Using language that is fully understandable to the recipient of the service.
Explain Behavioral Concepts using Non-Technical Language
When conducting assessments and talking to various people about the client, you should speak in behavioral language.
Do NOT discuss the problems in mentalistic terms (e.g., He is aggressive because he has Autism)
Speaking in mentalistic terms does not offer a solution.
Describe and Explain Behavior, Including Private Events, In Behavior-Analytic (NON-Mentalistic Terms)
Collaborate with the client’s mediators (the people who will be implementing the plan and who support the client).
It is your role as the behavior analyst to initiate and maintain the “Collabo” so that they will consistently and correctly implement your plan.
Cooperating with other professionals in order to serve your clients effectively and appropriately.
Provide Behavior-Analytic Services in Collaboration with Others who Support and/or Provide Services to One’s Client
Get to know the physical, material, and human resources in the family or organization within which change is to occur.
Learn about the values and concerns of the key stakeholders.
Look to see what adjustments might be required within the system to encourage, monitor, and sustain the kinds of changes being sought.
If the resources are not available for us, then we must return to the drawing board to adjust our goals and/or methods.
Select Intervention Strategies Based on Environmental and Resource Constraints
The effects of the assessment process on the behavior of the individual being assessed.
Most likely when observation methods are OBTRUSIVE (obvious to the individual)
Effects are usually temporary
Reactivity