In the 25 years since the publication of the article reprinted in this issue of "Behavioral Disorders", a tremendous amount of research and opinion has been published on the topics of functional analysis, functional assessment, and assessment-based interventions. In this commentary, we reflect on the context in which our original work…

Check-in check-out (CICO) is a widely implemented program aimed at increasing prosocial behavior. Aligned with the logic of Tier 2 supports, CICO has a standard protocol meant to be implemented in a standardized fashion across all students. However, as CICO is not effective for all at-risk students, it is quite common to find researchers…

Functional assessment and functional analysis are processes that have been applied successfully in work with people who have developmental disabilities, but they have been used rarely with students who experience emotional or behavioral disorders. In the present study, five students in elementary school programs for severe emotional disturbance…

This article describes intensive behavior intervention that is used with students who have behavioural difficulties. Joseph H. Wehby and Lee Kern report on 35 years of research in this area and note two conclusions: (1) Students with significant behavioral difficulties, including those with emotional disturbance (ED), have among the poorest social…

Preschool-aged children with or at risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience significant challenges with behavioral, social, and preacademic skills. Kern et al. (2007) examined 12-month intervention outcomes for 135 children, aged 3-5, with or at risk for ADHD. Two interventions, parent education alone and parent…

Identifying factors perceived to either hinder or support the implementation of individualized positive behavior interventions and supports (IPBIS) is essential for promoting sustainable practice. This survey study examined the extent to which school-based professionals (n = 293) experienced barriers and enablers and examined their perceived level…

The process of functional assessment has emerged as an essential component for intervention development. Applications across divergent types of problem behavior, however, remain limited. This study evaluated the applicability of this promising approach to students with selective mutism. Two middle school students served as participants. The…

A critical measure of intervention effectiveness is durability over time. Still, few studies have examined the long-term outcomes of support derived from a functional behavioral assessment as well as enablers and barriers that contribute to or impede successful outcomes. In the current study, a functional behavioral assessment was conducted with a…

Assessment results indicated that pica exhibited by two boys with developmental disabilities was not associated with environmental contingencies. Consistent with previous research, an oral stimulation function was hypothesized. A related intervention that taught participants to exchange inedible items for edibles was developed. Findings showed…

The literature reflects an increasing reliance on functional behavioral assessment (FBA) to, develop support plans for decreasing problem behavior. However, applications with students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), particularly in classroom settings, continue to be limited. The purpose of the present review was to explore the FBA…

Practical and comprehensive, this book focuses on the nuts and bolts of designing positive behavior support plans for students with such disabilities as mental retardation, autism, learning disabilities, and emotional/behavioral disorders. Strategies are provided for addressing individual behavioral problems at all levels of severity. Filled with…

A study investigated the use of functional assessment for the transition difficulties of an 11-year-old girl with multiple disabilities who engaged in flopping to the ground during transitions. Assessment information led to the scheduling of a period for interaction immediately following problematic transitions and resulted in reduced rates of…

This study evaluated assessment-based curricular modifications designed to improve the classroom behavior of two elementary school students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Functional assessment data led to individualized modifications of assignments. Evaluation indicated the modifications resulted in reduced problem behavior and increased…

Functional analyses were conducted with three boys (ages 4-7) with behavior disorders. The students were then successfully taught to self-manage incompatible appropriate behavior as well as appropriate requests for reinforcement (i.e., escape, attention, materials) identified as functionally related to the problematic target behaviors. (Contains…

This article discusses the contributions of applied behavior analysis (ABA) in effective instruction of students with autism spectrum disorders. Emphasis is on the use of antecedent interventions and curriculum-based assessment. It also notes that the principles and methods of ABA are being integrated into routine educational procedures, including…