Unit 6 Flashcards
Steps in the General Process for Decreasing Problem Behavior
- Identify & define target bxs to decrease & increase from interview & observation
- Conduct functional assessment & develop hypotheses about the antecedents & consequences
- Initiate data collection (Baseline) - Develop & implement treatment based on hypothesis
- Evaluate effectiveness & implementation fidelity
Evaluating Treatment Effectiveness and Implementation
- Treatment is effective: Promote maintenance & generalization
- Treatment is not effective &:
- Is NOT being carried out correctly: Retrain change agents, provide more support, adjust components, promote buy-in
- IS being carried out correctly: Return functional assessment
A BCBA is working with a child who engages in hand biting. After a functional assessment, she hypothesized that the behavior is maintained by access to food. What is the next step in the process?
-Develop a plan based on the hypothesis
What is the next step after determining that the treatment plan is effective?
-Promote generalization and maintenance
Functional Assessment Purpose
- Identify functional relations btw problem bx & environmental events
- Focus on:
- Antecedents that evoke prob bx
- Consequences that reinforce the prob bx
Functional Assessment Purpose (Con…t)
- Guide treatment development
- Eliminate the functional relation btw problem bx & the maintaining consequence
- Arrange alternative means for providing access to the relevant reinforcers
- Eliminate treatment options unlikely to be effective
Functional Analysis Characteristics
- Assumes that the supporting functional relation was developed in the individual’s history
- Direct manipulation of environmental variables
- Conditions designed to simulate hypothetical circumstances that support problem bx
Functional Analysis Characteristics (Con…t)
- Uses a test-control methodology to compare levels of prob bx under test & control conditions
- Test conditions that condition relevant antecedents & consequences
- Control condition (standard or uniquely arranged) devoid of those variables
- Uses single-case experimental designs
Reasons for conducting a Functional assessment?
- To identify antecedents likely to Evoke Problem Bx
- To identity consequences likely reinforcing problem Bx
- To guide the development of treatment
The goal of a functional analysis is to recreate contingencies that are suspected of maintaining problem behavior in the natural environment
a. True
b. False
a. True
Deciding to Conduct a Functional Analysis
-Some ques to consider:
- What is the benefit of conducting an FA? What if the utility?
- Are there advantages to conducting an FA over another method?
- Why are ppl reluctant to conduct a functional analysis?
Impact of Functional Assessment
- Kahng ti al. (2002): Examined 396 cases of self-injury in developmental disabilities in published literature:
- Compared effectiveness (% reduction from BL levels) for several interventions including reinforcement, extinction & Rx plus extinction
- Compared mean reductions when interventions were not preceded by a functional assessment
Impact of Functional Assessment: Extinction (con…t)
- Functional assessment NOT conducted prior to treatment (2 cases): Avg 47% reduction in self-injurious Bc
- Functional assessment conducted prior to treatment (24 cases): Avg 85.6% reduction in self-injurious Bx
Impact of Functional Assessment: Reinforcement (Con…t)
- Functional assessment NOT conducted prior to treatment (92 cases): Avg 61.6% reduction in self-injurious bx
- Functional assessment conducted prior to trt (103 cases): Avg 83.5% reduction in self-injurious Bx
Impact of Functional Assessment: Reinforcement Plus Ext. (con…t)
- Functional assessment NOT conducted prior to trt (5 cases): Avg 47.5% reduction in self-injurious bx
- Functional assessment conducted prior to trt (31 cases): Avg 82.3% reduction in self-injurious Bx
Impact of Functional Assessment
- General changes in the approach to the trt of problem Bx have occurred since the development & extensive use of functional assessment
- Formal & legal adoption (e.g. IDEA 1997, 2004)
Explain why treatment might be more effective if we conduct a functional assessment prior to implementation:
“When we determine maintaining variables through a functional assessment, we are more likely to use function-based interventions, which are more successful at reducing problem behavior.”
Notes on Terminology: Functional Assessment
- Procedures designing to measure level of “functioning” (e.g., VB-MAPP)
- In treatment of Prob Bx:
- Any method used to identify controlling variables
- Includes indirect & descriptive assessment & functional analysis
Notes on Terminology
Functional Analysis
*Technically any direct direct manipulation designed to understand a causal relation btw an environmental independent variable & a behavioral dependent variable
Notes on Terminology: Functional Analysis (Con…t)
- In the context of treating problem Bx:
- Hypothesized maintaining variables are actively manipulated during test & control conditions
- “Analog” and “experimental”
- A process, NOT a procedure
A functional assessment that identifies the antecedents that evoke self-injury and the consequences that maintain self-injury is assessing:
a. Skill acquisition
b. Problem bx
c. Verbal behavior
d. All of these
-Problem Behavior
A functional assessment that identifies an individual’s current behavioral repertoire as well as deficits is assessing:
a. Skill acquisition
b. Problem bx
c. Verbal behavior
d. All of these
a. Skill acquisition
A functional ______ is any method used to identify maintaining variables, while a functional _______ is a process of manipulating environmental variables to identify the relation between behavior and the environment.
- Assessment
- Analysis
A functional analysis can be used to identify the functional relation between the environment and any behavior, even if the behavior is not considered problematic.
-True
Barriers to Conducting a Functional Analysis: Lack of Support
- What do you view as your biggest barriers to conducting a Functional analysis?
- Lack of support or acceptance of procedure (e.g. from admin from parents or caregivers from teachers or clinicians etc): 46.3%
Barriers to Conducting a Functional Analysis: Lack of Support (Con…t)
*According to our professional code, Bx analysts have an ethical obligation to obtain informed consent from clients, stakeholders & other individuals before implementation of assessments or interventions
Barriers to Conducting a Functional Analysis: Lack of Funding
Biggest barriers:
-Lack of funds to purchase materials needed for a functional analysis 16.6%
Barriers to Conducting a Functional Analysis: FA Not Necessary
Biggest barriers:
-I don’t think functional analysis is necessary for determining a behavioral function: 6.8%
Barriers to Conducting a Functional Analysis: Lack of Knowledge
Biggest barriers:
-Personal lack knowledge of functional analysis procedures: 6.3%
In the Roscoe et al. (2015) survey, which of the following were the barriers to conducting a functional analysis?
(check all that apply)
- Lack of support
- Lack of Funding
- FA not necessary
- Lack of knowledge
Explain why parents and teachers may be unsupportive of a functional analysis and what a behavior analyst can do to gain support.
“A functional analysis temporarily increases the likelihood that the individual will engage in the problem behavior, which can be aversive to others. A behavior analyst can educate parents and teachers on the procedures and rationale to provide a better understanding of the process.”
Challenges to “Standard” FA Methodologies
- High-risk bx
- Time, resources and training to conduct functional analysis
- Low-rate bx
Barriers to Conducting a Functional Analysis: High-Risk Bx
- Barriers of BA:
- I dont feel it is ethically appropriate to potentially reinforce challenging or disruptive bx in the process of identifying the function: 6.8%
Kahng et al. (2015): Safety of Functional Analysis
- Retrospective record review of 99 cases of self-injurious bx in persons with intellectual & developmental disabilities (IDD)
- Compared rates & severity of injuries during & outside of Functional analysis
Which of the following are potential challenges to conducting a functional analysis?
- Dangerous problem behavior
- Limited resources
- Lack of time
- Low-rate bx
Explain why low-rate problem behavior may be a challenge when conducting a standard functional analysis:
“It would be difficult to identify variables surrounding the behavior when there are very few opportunities to observe it.”
Describe the purpose of the Kahng et al. (2015) study:
“To determine if the severity and/or frequency of self-injurious behavior was higher in a functional analysis than in the natural environment.”
In the Kahng et al. (2015) study, researchers compared frequency and severity of self-injury during an FA to the natural environment. Results showed:
*Severity was same, but frequency was higher in an FA
Conducting a Functional Analysis: Considerations for High-Risk Bx
- Do potential benefits outweigh potential risks?
- Risk assessment considerations:
- FA may temporarily increase risk of harm, but is also more accurate
- Incorrect functional hypothesis may expose client to prolonged, ineffective treatment
Iwata et al. (1982/ 1994): Managing High-Risk Bx During an FA :
- Procedures reviewed by human subjects committee
- Medical exam:
- Rule out organic factors
- Exclusion if high risk
Iwata et al. (1982/ 1994): Managing High-Risk Bx During an FA (con…t)
- Criterion for risk established by a physician
- Degree of injury/ level of responding
- Session terminated if criterion met
- Physician/ nurse examination to approve continuation
- Frequent (e.g. weekly) case review
Although there are some risks in conducting an FA with dangerous problem behavior, there are also risks in NOT completing an FA.
- True
- False
True
Before conducting a functional analysis, it is important to rule out any medical or biological variables affecting the problem behavior.
a. True
b. False
True
Managing High-Risk Behavior: FA Modifications
- If Bx is high risk, the following modifications can be made to the FA:
- Protective procedures (blocking, protective equipment)
- Precursor FA
- Latency FA
- Trial-based FA
Use of Protective Procedures During a Functional Analysis
- Limiting risk by allowing the bx to occur but decreasing likelihood of injury; procedure selected based on the nature of the target bx
- Blocking: Physically intervention to the responses
- Protective equipment: Individual wears helmet and/ or padded clothing
Le and Smith (2002):
Protective Equipment
- Compared functional analysis of self-injury under 2 arrangements:
- Standard conditions like Iwata et al. (1982/ 1994)
- Standard conditions plus protective equipment (e.g. mittens for face slapping, medical gloves for nail biting, helmet for head banging)
Le and Smith (2002) :
Results with Mittens (con…t)
- Elevated rates of bx in the demand condition, but only when mittens (protective equipment) were NOT worn; when mittens were worn, problem bx did not occur
- Use of protective equipment eliminated info about function
Which of the following are modifications that can be used in a standard FA to reduce risk when assessing high-risk behaviors?
- Protective equipment
- Latency FA
- Blocking
- Precursor FA
In what ways do modifications to an FA help protect the individual from risk?
- Conditions take less time
- Protective equipment is used
- Less severe forms of bx are targeted
Some FA modifications to reduce risk can remove barriers by reducing time and resources needed to conduct the assessment.
a. True
b. False
a. True
Which of the following are modifications that can be used in a standard FA to reduce risk when assessing high-risk behaviors?
- Protective equipment
- Latency FA
- Blocking
- Precursor FA
In the Le and Smith (2002) study, researchers compared the results of an FA with and without the use of protective equipment. What were the results of that study?
“Researchers were unable to obtain clear results when protective equipment was used.”
Precursor
- Behavior that reliably precedes another in time
- E.g. An individual often yells or screams before engaging in aggression
Precursor FA
- Functional analysis in which contingencies are placed on behaviors that reliably precede the target behavior rather than on the target behavior
- If precursor & target Bx are in the same Response Class:
- Precursor bx will increase
- Higher risk target bx should not increase
Smith and Churchill (2002):
Precursor Functional Analysis
- Compared functional analysis of self-injury under 2 arrangements:
- Standard conditions like Iwata et al. (1982/ 1994) with contingencies placed on target behaviors
- Standard conditions with contingencies placed on reliable precursors
Which of the following are findings from the Smith and Churchill (2002) study on precursor behavior?
- Applying the contingencies to precursor behavior led to the same identified function as when applied to high-risk bx
- Contingencies placed on precursor bx led to low rates of high-risk bxs
A benefit of identifying precursors to problem behavior is that it allows us to place contingencies on:
-Precursor bx, reducing the “need” for the individual to engage in more dangerous bx
Identifying Reliable Precursors
- Can use caregiver report & informed direct observation, but precursors:
- Might exist even if caregivers cannot identify them
- Might differ from those reported
- Might not be readily detected during informal observations
Fritz et al. (2013): Precursor Assessment
- Asked caregivers to identify any observed precursors
- Ran attention, demand and tangible (for some) conditions of FA
- Stopped after 10 trials in which problem bx occurred
- Conducted conditional probability analysis
Fritz at al. (2013): Precursor Assessment Results
“We selected precursors that often were followed by the occurrence of the target bx & that did not often occur when the target bx was not observed”
Latency FA
*Functional analysis in which the aspect of the Bx that is measured is the latency btw the start of a trial & the first occurrence of the target bx
Latency FA (Con…t)
- Response latency: Amount of time that passes in btw the presentation of a discriminative stimulus & the occurrence of the response
- Reduces risk by only allowing bx to occur once in a given session
Thomason-Sassi et al. (2011):
Retrospective Comparison
- Standard functional analysis Vs. latency functional analysis
- Experimental 2: Retrospective comparison
- Rate of responding from the entire session in a standard FA compared to latency to the first response observed in each session
Thomason-Sassi et al. (2011):
Interpreting Results
- Standard FA: Relevant variables indicated by elevated (higher) rates of bx in test condition(S)
- Latency FA: Relevant variables indicated by shorter (lower) latency to engage in target bx in test condition(s)
- Requires just 1 response
Thomason-Sassi et al. (2011) :
Experimental Analysis
- Standard functional analysis Vs. latency functional analysis
- Experiment 3: Experimental analysis
- Standard FA compare to Latency FA in which session was terminated after the first response
In contrast to a precursor FA or standard FA, in a latency FA the problem behavior should occur a maximum of time(s) in each
- 1
Barriers to Conducting a Functional Analysis: Lack of Space
- What do you view as your biggest barriers to conducting a Functional analysis?
- Lack of space to conduct functional analysis (i.e., lack of space away from other students, breakable items & hard or dangerous surfaces): 57.6%
Trail-Based FA
- Repeated trials of Functional analysis conditions; compare the percentage of trials during which target behaviors occurred per condition
- Did the Bx occur during the trial? yes/ no
Trial-Based FA (Con…t)
- Reduces risk by only allowing bx to occur once in a given trial
- Allows for analysis in a Naturalistic Env
- Less disruptive due to not removing participant from the env
Bloom et al. (2011): Trial-Based Functional Analysis
- Created opportunities to test functional analysis conditions with Sd against a unique control per test trial
- E.g., child playing with preferred toy then removed, or therapist provided attention then withheld or academic demand placed then not placed
Bloom et al. 2011: Trial-Based Functional Analysis (con…t)
- Provided consequence for 1st instance of target bx
- Interspersed trials throughout day
- Compared percentage of conditions trials with target bx
Trial-Based Functional Analysis in Schools
- Follow-up studies have been successful with:
- Teacher implemented trial-based FAs (Bloom et al. 2013)
- Trial-based FAs with typically developing students (Austin et al., 2015)
Which of the following are reasons for selecting a trial-based FA?
- High-rate behavior
- Lack of space
Which FA procedures allow for the target problem behavior to only occur one time per session?
-Latency trial-based
Functional Analysis with High-Risk Bx: Take-Home Points
- Mixed results obtained with use of protective equipment
- If equipment obscures results, try precursor functional analysis
- Good correspondence
- Prob Bx decreased when contingencies placed on precursor