Functional Assessment

1. Functional Assessment Week Five

2. AT HOME READING Article #1 ABA 101

3. What ABA IS NOT! • counseling therapy • focused on changing an individual’s thoughts • bribery • strictly used with pet training • strictly used with individuals with autism • striving to control the world

4. Reinforcement Change in environment IMMEDIATELY following a behavior that INCREASES the behavior in the future

5. Reinforcers something that, when presented after the behavior, results in that behavior occurring more often in the future.

6. Positive Reinforcement • something is ADDED immediately after the behavior resulting in the behavior occurring more often in the future • Example: Johnny completes his math homework after school and immediately his mother gives him ice cream as a reward. In the future, Johnny completes his math homework right after school.

7. Negative Reinforcement • something is REMOVED immediately after the behavior resulting in the behavior occurring more often in the future. • Example: Johnny is given a plate of vegetables to eat with his dinner. Johnny screams and immediately his mother takes the plate of vegetables away. When Johnny is given a plate of vegetables in the future, he screams.

8. Frequency: • the amount of times a behavior occurs within a period of time; rate Example: • Sarah says hello to her mother 15 times within a period of 30 minutes.

9. Preferred Items: • items that the individual enjoys, but will not necessarily work for it. Preferred items do not necessarily INCREASE the future frequency of the behavior. Example: • Martha loves jewelry, but this not necessarily mean Martha will come to work everyday if she is paid in jewelry. Jewelry is a preferred item but it does not function as a reinforcerbecause it does not INCREASE Martha’s behavior of coming to work if she was paid in jewelry.

10. Functions of Behavior • Attention • Escape • Access to Tangible • Automatic

11. 1. Attention The individual engages in behavior in order to receive attention from those in the environment (parents, teacher, siblings, peers). Attention functions as a reinforcer because it increases the individual’s behavior that has, in the past, resulted in attention.

12. Example: Johnny screams every instance that his mother walks away from him. When he engages in this behavior, his mother returns to him and asks, “What’s wrong Johnny?” This behavior is attention-maintained because the behavior consistently results in attention. When Johnny “wants” attention, he screams.

13. 2. Escape The individual engages in behavior in order to get out of doing something he/she does not want to do. In the past, the individual has engaged in this behavior and it has resulted in the removal of the task, therefore the removal of the task functions as a negative reinforcer, and increases the likelihood that the individual will engage in this behavior to escape/avoid work.

14. Example: Every time Ms. Smith puts a math worksheet on Johnny’s desk, he rips up the paper and throws it on the floor. As a result, Ms. Smith does not make him do his math homework. In the future, Johnny continues to engage in this behavior every time he receives a math worksheet because it results in escaping the behavior of doing the math worksheet.

15. 3. Access to Tangible • The individual engages in the behavior in order to get a preferred item or activity. In the past, when the individual has engaged in this behavior, it resulted in receiving an item or activity. The item or activity is a reinforcer because it increases the likelihood that the individual will engage in the behavior to have access to it.

16. Example When Stevie cries, his mother gives him a pacifier. In the future, Stevie cries because itconsistently results in access to the pacifier.

17. 4. Automatic • The individual engages in the behavior in order to have some type of internal sensation. This function does not rely on other people (ie. the student will go this when alone). These behaviors are often referring to as self-stimulating or self-stimulatory

18. Example Stevie engages in hand flapping in the absence of any specific antecedent or consequence stimulus. This behavior provides automatic sensory stimulation.

19. Punishment • something that, when presented after the behavior, results in that behavior occurring less often in the future.

20. Punishers • something that, when presented after the behavior, results in that behavior occurring less often in the future.

21. Positive Punishment • something is ADDED immediately after the behavior resulting in the behavior occurring less often in the future

22. Positive Punishment • The concept of positive punishment can difficult to remember, especially because it seems like a contradiction. How can punishment be positive? The easiest way to remember this concept is to note that it involves an aversive stimulus that is added to the situation. For this reason, positive punishment is sometimes referred to as punishment by application.

23. Example: • You wear your favorite baseball cap to class but are reprimanded by your instructor for violating your school's dress code.

24. Negative Punishment • something is REMOVED immediately after the behavior resulting in the behavior occurring more often in the future.

25. Negative Punishment • While negative punishment can be highly effective, Skinner and other researchers have suggested that a number of different factors can influence its success. Negative punishment is most effective when: • It immediately follows a response • It is applied consistently

26. Negative Punishments Another major problem with punishment is that while it might reduce the unwanted behavior, it does not provide any information or instruction on more appropriate reactions. B.F. Skinner also noted that once the punishment is withdrawn, the behavior is very likely to return.

27. Example • A third-grade boy yells at another student during class, so his teacher takes away "good behavior" tokens that can be redeemed for prizes.

28. Alternative/Replacement Behavior: Teaching a behavior that serves the same purpose, or function, a problem behavior. Alternative behaviors allow the student to receive, maintain, or escape something in a socially appropriate and functional way. The socially appropriate behavior serves the same purpose as the problem behavior and replaces the problem behavior when the individual is taught to engage in the replacement behavior rather than the problem behavior under similar conditions.

33. Process for Individualized Interventions Step 1: Establishing a collaborative team and identifying goals Step 2: Gathering information (functional assessment) Step 3: Developing hypotheses (best guess) Step 4: Designing behavior support plans Step 5: Implementing, monitoring, evaluating outcomes, and refining plan in natural environments

34. Potential Team Members • Parents/Family • Teacher(s) • Assisting Teacher/Paraprofessional • Therapists • Administrative Staff • Other(s)

35. Process forIndividualized Interventions Step 1: Establishing a collaborative team and identifying goals Step 2: Gathering information (functional assessment) Step 3: Developing hypotheses (best guess) Step 4: Designing behavior support plans Step 5: Implementing, monitoring, evaluating outcomes, and refining plan in natural environments

36. Functional Assessment • A process for developing an understanding of a child’s challenging behavior and how the behavior is governed by environmental events. • A portfolio of information that provides you with data (e.g., observations, information) to understand the child • Results in the identification of the “purpose” or “function” of the challenging behavior.

37. Process of the Functional Assessment • Observe the child in target routines and settings. • Collect data on child behavior, looking for situations that predict challenging behavior and that are linked with appropriate behavior. • Interview persons most familiar with the child. • Review records.

38. Observation Card 3a.3

39. Observation Card Example

40. Observation Card 1

41. Observation Card 2

42. Scatter Plot Rachel Hitting Peers Target Behavior: Using a scatter plot involves recording the times of day (and/or activities) in which the behavior does and does not occur to identify patterns over days or weeks Student: Observer: Dates: Maya 10/1 through 10/12 Behavior did not occur Behavior did occur NA Did not observe

43. Everybody Helps • Family collects data • Educational staff collects data • Therapists collect data • Collect data in ALL settings

44. “KIS” “KIS it” (Keep It Simple) - - Create simple, user-friendly forms to collect information (e.g., rating scales, checklists).

45. Home Observation Card 3a.4

46. Home Observation Card 3a.4

47. Functional Assessment Interview • Define behavior (describe what you see) • Describe frequency and intensity • Explore related factors (e.g., sleep, medications) • Identify predictors (triggers) • Identify maintaining consequences • Identify current communicative functions • Describe efficiency of the behavior • Describe previous efforts • Identify possible reinforcers 3a.5

48. Large Group Activity: Complete Last Section of Tim’s FAI

50. Process forIndividualized Interventions Step 1: Establishing a collaborative team and identifying goals Step 2: Gathering information (functional assessment) Step 3: Developing hypotheses (best guess) Step 4: Designing behavior support plans Step 5: Implementing, monitoring, evaluating outcomes, and refining plan in natural environments