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…

A functional analysis isolated peer attention as the primary maintaining variable for disruptive behavior by a student (age 8) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. Using a brief reversal design, noncontingent reinforcement was then shown to reduce disruptive behavior related to the peer attention condition. (Contains three references.)…

The limitations of informant assessment of problem behaviors was investigated across seven situations and three participants (ages 11-18) with cognitive impairments. Informant hypotheses about the function of problem behaviors were validated by subsequent functional analyses only when informants identified their hypotheses as involving situations…

This article discusses strategies and procedures for promoting maintenance and generalization of student behavior changes resulting from interventions based on functional behavioral assessment. Strategies include self-management techniques, cognitive mediation, self-advocacy training, use of peers, booster training, environmental modifications,…

A study developed a systematic functional assessment package to reduce the stereotypy and self-injurious behaviors maintained by nonsocial reinforcement in two individuals with mental retardation. Differential reinforcement of zero rates of responding (DRO) procedures using stimuli within the targeted sensory classes were successful in eliminated…

This article summarizes articles related to functional assessment and its applications for individuals with problem behaviors. The research indicates functional assessment procedures have been established as a standard assessment tool that identifies environmental variables related to problem behaviors with links to the development of effective…

This article presents two case examples to demonstrate how teachers can use functional behavioral assessment (FBA) to design behavior support plans. FBA helps a second grade "class clown" to learn new ways to get attention and a first grade "class lawyer" to learn to stop arguing and stay on task (with the help of an electronic record keeping…

Prior researchers have evaluated the efficacy of using the matching law to describe naturally occurring behavior-environment interactions. However, spurious matching could be obtained if the response and environmental event were correlated, even if the event did not reinforce the response. To assess the likelihood of obtaining spurious matching…

Following a pretest, 11 participants who were naive with regard to various algebraic and trigonometric transformations received an introductory lecture regarding the fundamentals of the rectangular coordinate system. Following the lecture, they took part in a computer-interactive matching-to-sample procedure in which they received training on…

Simulations were conducted to investigate factors that influence the Mantel, generalized Mantel-Haenszel (GMH), and logistic discriminant function analysis (LDFA) methods in assessing differential item functioning (DIF) for polytomous items. The results show that the magnitude of DIF contamination in the matching score, as measured by the average…

We studied the correlation between response to fluvoxamine and serotonin transporter gene promoter region polymorphism (5-HTTLPR). Eighteen children with autistic disorder completed a 12-week double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized crossover study of fluvoxamine. Behavioral assessments were obtained before and at 12 weeks of treatment.…

A functional assessment procedure, which was designed to identify insufficient skills that may have been responsible for employee performance problems, was administered to four foremen employed in a large construction organization. Results of this assessment procedure identified two skill areas, product knowledge and data entry, as deficient.…

The purpose of this study was to utilize the matching theory to understand intra-response class covariation as a result of extinction for selected members of the response class versus functional communication training. The participant was a 9-year old girl with a severe disability and problem behaviors. Experimental procedures included functional…

In the United States today, there is a growing number of children exhibiting disruptive behavior. The rising rates of violence among youth in society parallel the increase in numbers of students who engage in severe problem behavior in schools. Schools are currently confronting a number of disturbing trends regarding school discipline, violence,…

The effects of functional communication training on the generalized reduction of problem behavior with three 4- to 5-year-old children with autism and problem behavior were evaluated. Participants were assessed in primary teaching settings and in three secondary, generalization settings. Through baseline analysis, lower effort interventions in the…