Functional Assessment Methods in ABA
A functional assessment is a required precursor to any behavior intervention plan. It helps us identify problem behaviors, hypothesize their function, and guides our treatment development. There are 3 primary methods for determining function which should be used together, not one or the other.
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Indirect Assessment
This type of assessment is typically conducted with parents, caregivers, teachers, and anyone else in the client's environment. It can even include the client if they are able to participate, but it indirectly gathers information about the behaviors of interest without directly observing them. Some indirect assessments include structured or open-ended parent interviews as well as rating scales such as the Questions About Behavior Function (QABF) or the Motivation Assessment Scale (MAS).
Pros:
Quick and easy to use
Low risk as behaviors don't have to occur
Useful for low-frequency or difficult to assess behaviors
Cons:
Not reliable
Unclear method for determining function
Requires faithful recollection of behaviors
Descriptive Assessments
This type of assessment is conducted in the natural environment where the behavior is occurring and can be observed directly. Direct assessments can include narratives, A-B-C data, scatterplot data, and more.
Pros:
You can see the full range of antecedents and consequences
Any environmental variables affecting the behavior can be observed
Cons:
The data is correlational
May have reactivity from the client
Could be difficult to obtain an adequate sample of the behavior
Functional Analysis
This type of assessment contrives conditions to simulate circumstances that evoke the problem behaviors. Behaviors in the test and control conditions are compared to determine the function of the behavior.
Pros:
It determines the ACTUAL function of the behaviors, not correlational
May reveal potential treatment effects
Cons:
Complex and time-intensive
Might not include relevant test conditions
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