Unit 1 (video 4) ASRs

Question 1

Preliminary assessments are ___ in scope and ____ in fidelity.

Answer 1

broad; low. - Scope refers to the range of information gathered and degree of focus on the issue in an assessment. Fidelity refers to the accuracy of information gathered in an assessment. A preliminary assessment is broad in scope because it gathers information across a broad range of topics and behaviors and is low in fidelity because the information gathered is of widely varying value and accuracy but gives a general picture of the case.

Question 2

A preliminary assessment has a broad scope and a low fidelity because it:

Answer 2

assesses a wide range of environmental variables and behaviors without direct observation. - A preliminary assessment assesses a wide range of environmental variables and behaviors without observations through reviewing records, etc. to gather basic information. While a large amount of information can be collected, the fidelity tends to be low due to the lack of direct observation and more specific information gathering. Narrowing the focus does not lead to a broad scope (indirect assessment). A preliminary assessment is not conducted in contrived settings and does not include manipulations of environmental variables (functional analysis). A preliminary assessment does not include direct observation (descriptive assessment).

Question 3

A teacher reports the following disruptive behavior from a student in the classroom: exaggerating a silent yawn and stretch from the back of the room a few times per week. Would this behavior warrant behavioral services?

Answer 3

No

Question 4

A parent reports that her child has been refusing all types of food except fast-food fries. She has checked with the doctor and there appears to be no current medical complications. Would this behavior warrant behavioral services?

Answer 4

Yes. - Some questions to ask when determining if behavioral services are needed are whether the problem is significant enough to require intervention and/or if it is susceptible to environmental manipulations. In this example, a child who only will eat greasy, salty fast-food fries can be a problem due to the serious, long-term health and nutritional-related issues it can pose. His limited food intake and selectivity can also be an issue in the child’s natural environment within the home and in school, at friends’ houses, etc., where there is likely no access to fast-food fries.