Amego Inc Behavior Analyst Licensure and Certification Exam

Amego, Inc. Behavior Analyst Licensure and Certification Exam Prep Module V This Module is based on the BACB Task List 4: Functional Assessment Section II I. Assessment; K-07. Evaluate the effectiveness of the behavior program Prepared By: Michael Weinberg, Ph. D. , BCBA-D © 2014 All Rights Reserved. May not be reproduced without express permission of Amego, Inc.

Module V. Functional Assessment Methods; Assess Intervention Effectiveness Module IV Objectives Functional Assessment : 1. FA Methods - data collection, interview questionnaires, and related issues 2. Assess effectiveness of interventions

Module V Functional Assessment Strategies Descriptive Assessment • Indirect – 2 nd party report about student’s behavior • Interviews – teacher, parent, student • Records review • Behavior Situation Rating Scales – MAS, FAST, QABF, FAI • Direct – On-site observation or permanent product assessment of student behavior • Scatterplot, • A-B-C recording • Functional Assessment Observation Form • Environmental Manipulation – Systematic change in suspected event(s) to see if behavior changes – Functional Analyses • Manipulation of consequences • Analog Probes – controlled clinic settings • Naturalistic applications – In situ or in-vivo – Structural Analyses • Manipulation of contextual factors, antecedents • Ecological Assessment

Module IV Functional Assessment Behavior – Situation Rating Scales • Questionnaires – identify situations in which a child may behave in a certain way • Primarily a screening tool • Not sufficient by themselves to determine behavior function – Must be used with other assessment tools

Module V. Functional Assessment Process • Step 1: Conduct a Functional Assessment necessary for identifying environmental & behavior changes • Step 2: Develop a hypothesis statement • Step 3: Design Behavior Plan • Step 4: Evaluate plan effectiveness • Step 5: Modify plan as needed

Module V continued Step 1: Functional Assessment (FA) • Process for gathering information • Attempt to explain the function of the challenging behavior • Predict times and circumstances under which behaviors are most likely to occur • Identify factors and variables that influence the student’s behavior

Module V Underlying Assumptions of FA • All behavior is adaptive from the perspective of the individual • Effective interventions are based on a thorough understanding of the child and the challenging behavior(s) • Emphasizes proactive and preventive approaches

Module V. FBA: Four-Term Contingency Motivating Operations/ Setting Events Ameliorate Eliminate Sd (Anteceden t) Immediatel y Before Behavior Antecedent Manipulations Behavior General Skills Training Equivalence Training Self-Regulation Training Maintaining Consequenc e (After Behavior) Instructional Consequence Reduction Oriented Consequence

Module V FA: Four-Term Contingency Definitions • MO/SE --> A --> B --> C • Motivative Operations: EO = Establishing Operations temporarily enhance the value of a reinforcer AO = Abolishing Operations temporarily devalue a reinforcer • Setting Event (SE) = Events that interfere with or otherwise affect ongoing Sds • A = Antecedent (usually a discriminative stimulus) which signals that reinforcement is available • B = Behavior • C = Consequence = the reinforcer maintaining the behavior

Module V: Components of FA • 1. Descriptive assessment • 2. Hypothesis development & testing (if necessary) • 3. Intervention development & evaluation

Module V : Functional Assessment • Functional Assessment Allows for the development of a Functional Hypothesis based upon possible functions of behavior, which include: 1. 2. 3. 4. Attention from others Seeking tangible items Escape or Avoid tasks or activities Automatic Reinforcement (e. g. self-stimulatory behavior)

Module V FBA: Descriptive Assessment • Purpose: to gather descriptive information from multiple sources to develop hypotheses about the behavior. • Information sources: – review of school records – review of medical records – interviews – rating scales – direct observations

Module V : Descriptive Assessment (con’t) • Gather broad information – identify and operationally define the problem behavior (use verbs) – describe the student’s strengths, interests, skill deficits – describe student’s health – identify tentative hypotheses to guide assessment – prioritize behaviors

Step 1: FA (continued) • Gather specific information: – identify specific settings, activities, and situations when behavior is most and least likely to occur – identify function or functions of the problem behavior – identify specific student variables that may contribute to problem behavior (e. g. , skill deficits, health, conflicts at home) – Tools: A-B-C analysis, scatter plots, questionnaires, checklists, interviews

All Behavior Serves a Purpose or “Function” Behavior Gain Access to a Desirable Stimulus or Event: (Attention or Tangibles) Escape/Avoid an Undesirable Stimulus or Event

Gain Access to or Obtain. . . Preferred Object or Activity (“Tangibles”) Social Interaction (Attention) Adult Peer Sensory Stimulation (“Automatic”)

Escape or Avoid. . . Non-Preferred Object or Activity (Task) Sensory Stimulation Social Interaction (Automatic) Adults Peers

Step 2: Hypothesis Development • Purpose: To summarize information obtained from the assessment (step 1) and develop a framework that will lead to selection of intervention strategy

Step 2: Hypothesis Development • When this occurs (describe context) the student does (describe behavior) to access or avoid (describe)or if it is due to automatic reinforcement • Example: When presented with a writing task, Erin will engage in physical aggression to avoid/escape written work.

Assess Accuracy of Hypothesis via Functional Analysis (optional) • Present or change various events or situations and observe how this change effects a person’s behavior • We want to occasion problem behavior because it demonstrates a causal relationship between environmental events and the behavior

Module V Functional Assessment Interview ► The Functional Assessment Interview is a set of questions directed to the relevant service provider related to the problem behaviors and their associated environmental conditions and events ► The function of the interview is to provide information to help structure the direct observation and data collection procedure O’Neill, R. E. , Horner, R. H. , Albin, R. W. , Storey, K. , Sprague, J. R. , & Newton, J. S. (1997). Functional Assessment and Program Development for Problem Behavior. Brooks/Cole Publishing Company: Boston, Massachusetts

Module V Functional Assessment: Indirect Methods ► The Motivation Assessment Scale (MAS; Durand & Crimmins, 1988) is a questionnaire developed to assess the hypothesized function of problem behavior ► Informants are instructed to rate the likelihood of a target behavior occurring in different antecedent conditions

Module V Functional Assessment: Indirect Methods, continued • • • Functional Analysis Screening Tool (FAST) The Florida Center on Self-Injury, 1995 (developed by Brian Iwata) Q-FAST (Quick Functional Assessment Screening Tool), developed by Vollmer & Matson, 1995 Aid To Functional Analysis Willis & La. Vigna (1987)

Module V Functional Behavior Assessment Options – Antecedent – Behavior – Consequence (ABC or “Sequence” Analysis) (Bijou, Peterson, & Ault, 1968) – Environmental Analysis (Iwata et al. , 1982) – Scatter Plot (Touchette, Mc. Donald, & Langer, 1985) – Eco-behavioral Analysis (Greenwood & Carta, 1987; Scott & Sugai, 1994) – Functional Assessment Direct Observation Form (FAOF) (O’Neill, Horner, Albin, Sprague, Storey, & Newton, 1997) – Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF) (Matson, Bamburg, Cherry, & Paclawskyi, 1999, Paclawskyi, Matson, Rush, Salls, & Vollmer, 2000)

Module V, continued Functional Analysis Systematic Manipulations Systematically manipulate potential controlling variables in analog or natural conditions and observe effects on the student’s behavior

Guidelines for Functional Analysis • Conduct manipulations only when you can readily control relevant environmental variables • Determine the level of potential risk involved for child and staff • Use the data to evaluate specific ideas or hypotheses

Step 3: Design a Behavior Plan • An plan is designed that directly links assessment to intervention. • Intervention approaches are grounded in theory, assumptions, and principles of Applied Behavior Analysis • Use the “Competing Pathways” Model (O’neil, Horner, et. al. , 1997).

Hypothesis Development &Testing Process Determine Effectiveness of Intervention • • (Analyze data – Trend, Level, Variability) Yes • • Continue Until Criterion Performance is Achieved • • Program for Generalization, Maintenance, and Conduct Follow-up Monitoring • Thin Schedule of Rft. , Fade Program No (1 st time) Evaluate Treatment Integrity and Reliability of Data Collection Re-Train Staff as Needed No (2 nd Time) Revisit Functional Assessment Re-Assess for Function as Needed Still not successful - Conduct Functional Analysis: I. e. Analog Conditions or Systematic Manipulations

SUCCESS 42 +5 13 -5 • Interventions based on functional assessments are more likely to be effective than those that are not.

Antecedent Interventions Environmental modifications that are made to reduce the likelihood that problem behavior will occur. Proactive! Preventive! Produce quick results!

Module V Summary Topics covered in this Module include: • Functional Assessment Methods including data collection, interview questionnaires, observation methods, and functional analysis • Use results of an FBA to devise effective behavior intervention plans • Assess effectiveness of interventions This Module corresponds to Amego, Inc. Probes 5&6