The purpose of this meta-analysis was to summarize single-case intervention research studies in which students with disabilities received function-based intervention (FBI) within inclusive school settings to address challenging behavior. A total of 27 studies were identified and systematically reviewed to determine the overall effect of FBI on…

The Supreme Court case of "Endrew F. v. Douglas County District RE"-1 (2017) has renewed interest in the Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). The court's ruling expands the term "appropriate" to a consideration of progress for academics and behavior. This shift…

When a child doesn't respond to initial attempts to improve behavior, the first response is to try again. When that still doesn't work, teachers might do something else, and keep trying until they run through an entire repertoire of ideas. When they still don't get what they want, teachers begin to think: "What's wrong with this child?"…

Interventions based on functional analyses may result in better treatment outcomes than those using arbitrary reinforcers. However, functional analyses may be impractical in some situations, or an immediate intervention may be necessary while a functional analysis is being conducted. In these situations, delivering the social reinforcers most…

When results of descriptive functional behavior assessments are unclear, hypothesis testing can help school teams understand how the classroom environment affects a student's challenging behavior. This article describes two hypothesis testing strategies that can be used in classroom settings: structural analysis and functional analysis. For each…

The Iowa Department of Education (DE) has a history of partnering with the Biobehavioral Service (BBS) at the Center for Disabilities and Development to consult with educational teams in Iowa schools regarding students exhibiting challenging behavior. In 2009, the DE requested that BBS consultants improve behavior assessment skills of school-based…

Leading research argues the distinct importance of earliest detection of childhood behavior problems and the value of discovering subsequent change patterns as children transition through the early education years. This study examined the relative contributions of earliest assessments of children's problem behaviors as compared to the changes in…

This article provides educators with a research-informed process for addressing student problem self-injurious behaviors within inclusive settings. The process involves (a) identifying functions of problem behaviors, (b) implementing function-based interventions that include teaching and reinforcing socially acceptable replacement behaviors, (c)…

In working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), it is direct care staff who are often required to collect data on individuals' behavior which is used as the basis for implementation of empirically based approaches for intervention and treatment. Due to limited resources, indirect and descriptive measures of…

This article reviews the functional behavior assessment steps followed to develop interventions designed to decrease challenging behavior in the classroom. The implementation of antecedent based interventions generated from data gathered through interviews and observations addressed off-task, call outs and other challenging classroom behaviors.…

This systematic review investigated one systematic approach to designing, implementing, and evaluating functional assessment-based interventions (FABI) for use in supporting school-age students with or at-risk for high-incidence disabilities. We field tested several recently developed methods for single-case design syntheses. First, we appraised…

An increasing numbers of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are serviced in special and general education settings. Many students with ASD need behavioral supports in order to participate meaningfully in school settings. Function-based intervention has been shown to be effective in decreasing problem behavior and increasing appropriate…

Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and behavior interventions have been effective in the management of challenging behavior among children with developmental disabilities including autism spectrum disorders. Research suggests the need for valid measurement instruments for verifying, calibrating and scoring competence in FBA and behavior…

The purpose of this study was to determine the relative efficacy of non-contingent reinforcement (NCR) and differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) after behavioral functions were identified through indirect, descriptive, and experimental assessment. Participants included three preschool-age children in three center-based classrooms in a…

A trial-based functional analysis (TBFA) offers several advantages beneficial for classroom settings. TBFA can be completed rapidly, requires fewer resources than traditional functional analyses (FAs), can occur in the natural environment during typically scheduled activities, and involves less intense data collection methods. However, a number of…