This article describes the functional assessment (FA) strategies used in Project DATA (Developmentally Appropriate Treatment for Autism), a school-based model program for young children with autism. These strategies consist of five interrelated steps: (1) gathering information, (2) brainstorming, (3) making a plan, (4) implementing the plan, and…

We conducted functional analyses and identified reinforcers for problem behavior for three individuals with developmental disabilities. Based on results of the functional analysis, we evaluated the rate, probability, delay, and duration of reinforcement for problem and appropriate behavior during descriptive parent-child observations. Results…

Leisure items (e.g., games, toys) are commonly made available as controls during attention conditions of functional analyses (Ringdahl, Winborn, Andelman, & Kitsukawa, 2002). However, Ringdahl et al. raised questions about this practice. This paper reviews research that supports and conflicts with the inclusion of leisure items as controls,…

In this study, 18 teachers and 32 of their students who had reading difficulties were randomly assigned to one of two assessment conditions. In the functional assessment condition, consultants identified functional relationships among environmental events and targeted reading behaviors to develop an intervention plan. In the empiric condition,…

Functional analysis methodology is an assessment strategy that identifies sources of reinforcement that maintain problem behavior and prescribes individualized interventions that directly alter the conditions under which behavior occurs. In this article we describe the environmental determinants of problem behavior, methods for conducting…

Since many problem behaviors of individuals with mental retardation are maintained by multiple functions, this project developed the Functional Assessment for multiple CausaliTy (FACT), an informant-based, forced-choice measure designed to identify the most prominent function associated with the occurrence of problem behaviors. This paper…

Although functional behavior assessment (FBA) has been widely recognized as a promising practice for providing proactive interventions with students exhibiting challenging behaviors in typical schools, questions persist as to how FBA should best be trained and used in such public settings. Debate has balanced the issue of what is practical for…

The purpose of this study was to determine if specific classroom antecedents were associated with motor and vocal tics in two males diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome. A functional assessment consisting of teacher and student interviews, direct observations, brief functional analysis, and confirmatory naturalistic observations indicated that…

Since the re-authorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 functional assessment has become popular in designing interventions for people with challenging behaviour. The purpose of this study was to assess the applications of functional and structural analysis in the assessment of problem behaviour. The study analysed…

Direct methods of functional assessment--through which information is gathered by observing environment--behavior relations--vary with the degree to which environmental events are manipulated. Unstructured (ABC) assessments involve observing the occurrence of problem behavior without altering environmental events in any way. At the other extreme,…

Ethical guidelines for behavior analysts state that functional assessment should be used before implementing treatment plans. In this paper, we discuss the ethical implications of this position using self-injurious behavior in people with developmental disabilities as a focus. Evidence is reviewed that suggests that treatment based on results of a…

This study looks at the utilization of assessments on developing behavior intervention plans (BIPs) and their use in designing actual implementation for the children (elementary through high school) labeled EBD in a mid-sized district in eastern Washington. Files were reviewed to determine the types of assessments used, FBA components addressed,…

Educational experience in the community provides students with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities the opportunity to learn and rehearse skills they need to participate fully in community environments. The degree to which students with intellectual disabilities participate in their communities is often dependent on their ability to…

In an increasingly inclusive and complex setting, professionals in the school workforce working with children presenting social, emotional and behavioural difficulties are managing difficulties that frequently reflect co-morbidity and multiple-disorder. This article reports practitioner-led research taking place in a mainstream school in the USA…

It is generally acknowledged that school discipline is failing. Through a comparison of two very different disciplinary situations, I inquire into possible causes of failure and conditions of success. The argument is made that if discipline is to succeed, students must believe in and identify with the goals it is designed to support. Questions are…