Unit 7 Flashcards
Functional Behavior Assessment Revisited
- Assessment of functional relations btw bx & the Env
- AKA functional behavioral assessment or functional assessment
Functional Behavior Assessment (Con…t)
- Any pretreatment evaluation of prob bx intended to improve a clinician’s understanding of env contributors to prob bx
- Goal is to identify contingencies supporting problem bx that will inform treatment decisions
Indirect Assessment
*A process in which information is gathered on Bx through descriptions & recollections rather than through direct observation
Indirect Assessment Revisited
- Any pretreatment evaluation of problem bx intended to improve a clinician’s understanding of environmental contributors to problem bx using questionnaires & surveys
- No direct observation, no manipulation
Indirect Assessment Methods
- Specific to questionnaires & surveys
- No direct observation of problem bx
- No systematic manipulation of environmental events
Strengths & Limitations of Indirect Assessments
- Strengths: Quick, easy & requires minimal training
* Limitation: Unreliable; weak correspondence with other assessment methods
Descriptive Assessment
*Direct assessment method in which bx is observed & measured in the real-life context without manipulation of environmental variables
Descriptive Assessment
- Any pretreatment evaluation of problem bx intended to improve a clinician’s understanding of environmental contributors problem bx using direct observation
- Direct observation, no manipulation
Descriptive Assessment Methods
- Direct observation of problem bx
- Can lead to correlations btw prob bx & antecedents and/ or consequences
- Still missing systematic manipulation of environmental events
Strengths & Limitations of Descriptive Assessments
- Strengths:
- Can be quick & can illuminate imp correlations
- Limitations:
- Unreliable; Weak correspondence with other assessment methods
Descriptive assessments can only result in information about _____ between environment and behavior.
-Correlations
Functional Analysis
- Process of identifying environmental events that are functionally related to behavior by systematically manipulating environmental variables
- AKA experimental assessment
Functional Analysis (Con…t)
- Any pretreatment evaluation of problem bx intended to improve a clinician’s understanding of environmental contributors to prob bx using direct observation & systematic manipulation of env events
- Direct observation, manipulation
Functional Analysis Methods
*Direct observation of problem bx with systematic manipulation of environmental events
Strength and Limitations of Functional Analysis
- Strength
- Empirical demonstration of control
- Limitations
- Often impractical
- Reinforcement of problem behavior
- Observation of problem behavior
Functional Assessment Methods
- Umbrella term that encompasses:
- Indirect assessments
- Descriptive assessments
- Functional analysis
- Methods to help inform function-based treatment
Functional Assessment:
Advantages
- Improves treatment outcomes
- Reduces necessity of punishment
- Results in more humane form of treatment
Hierarchical Process for Functional Assessment
*Progressively introducing more conservative functional assessment methods
Hierarchical Process E.g.
- Clinician conducts the FAST to inform the treatment of aggression for Jimmy; the treatment based on the results fails to reduce aggression
- Clinician then conducts observations using ABC narratives; the treatment again fails to reduce aggression
- Clinician then decides to conduct FA
Strengths and Limitations of the Hierarchical Process
- Strengths
- Intuitive appeal
- Similar to least-to-most intrusive model
- Limitations
- Inefficient
- Unrealistic assessments should not be used to inform treatment
Provide the steps in the process of using a hierarchical approach to functional assessment:
*“Try the easiest assessment method first, and base treatment on those results. If the treatment is ineffective, try the more effortful assessment method, then base treatment on those results. If that treatment is ineffective, try the more effortful assessment method”
The primary limitation with a hierarchical approach to functional assessment is:
-It is inefficient as we may spend time implementing treatments that are not effective
Collective Process for Functional Assessment
- Using each step in the functional assessment to individualize the functional analysis
- Conduct indirect assessment to collect qualitative information
Collective Process for Functional Assessment (Con…t)
- Use info from indirect assessment to design brief observation
- Use all info collected to design unique contingency
- Functional analysis validates hunches about function from other assessments