Functional Assessment

What is Functional Assessment?

• Procedure for determining what purpose a behavior may be serving for an individual.

• How is the challenging behavior related to environmental conditions or events?

• Why does the individual exhibit certain behaviors?

• The school district is responsible for conducting a functional assessment and implementing a behavior intervention plan (BIP) before the behavior occurs.

• The IEP committee must consistently review the behavior intervention plan (BIP) and make necessary adjustments for adressing the challenging behavior.

• If the behavior intervention plan (BIP) is not effective, the need for additional functional assessment information may be necessary.

The following is an excerpt from an interview conducted by Sarah Hendley with a Speech Pathologist:

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Why is Functional Assessment needed?

• A functional assessment or analysis of behavior enables parents and educators to:

  • Identify problem behavior

  • Determine environmental factors affecting behavior

  • Develop effective interventions

  • Understand what the individual is trying to communicate through their behavior

• Conducting a Functional Assessment will provide guidance when addressing the following issues:

• Sensory strategies to address the individual's sensory needs

• Communication strategies to enhance desired behaviors

• Antecedent control strategies to increase successful experiences and decrease frustration

• Self-regulation strategies

• Positive reinforcement for using appropriate behavior

• Negative consequences for unacceptable behaviors

• (Functional Analysis Instructions: answer question regarding the behaviors; targeted for change – Appendix)
  

 

 

How to Conduct a Functional Assessment?

The three components for conducting a functional assessment include:

• Step One: Collect releveant information regarding the individual's behavior.

• Indirect assessment: Interviewing people who are familiar with the individual to determine the behaviors:

  • Frequency,

  • Rate,

  • Occurrence,

  • Nonoccurrence,
    
  • Intensity
    
• Direct assessment: Observing the individual in various contexts :
• Description of the behavior, the individual's actions and words
• Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence (A-B-C) Model
  • Analyzes the purpose that specific behaviors serve for an individual
  • Is used to determine under what conditions the behavior occurs, what antecedents precede the behavior, and what consequences follow the occurrence of that behavior
    
• Antecedent: event that occurs before a behavior is exhibited
  
• Behavior: refers to specific observable behaviors exhibited by an individual
  
• Consequence: refers to what an individual experiences following a behavior
  
• A basic tool one can utilize to remember how to complete the A-B-C Model is to ask:
  
• WHAT behavior happens?
• WHEN does the behavior happen?
• WHERE does the behavior happen?
• HOW does the behavior happen?
• With WHOM does does the behavior happen?
• Remember to look for patterns of antecedents, behaviors, or consequences.
• Look for patterns:
  
  • At a particular time of day (morning, after meal; etc.)
    
  • Before or after a specific activity or task (physical activities, social interchange; etc.)
    
  • With certain people (consider categories of persons, hair color, smell, number of people; etc.)
    
  • After a change in routine such as a weekend or holiday (change in activities location, transportation; etc.)
    
  • With certain materials (consider color, shape, smell, texture; etc.)
    
  • During certain weather conditions (temperature, precipitation, windyness; etc.

 

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• Step Two: Determine why the individual may be exhibiting the challenging behavior.

• Develop a hypothesis which addresses the purpose the individual's challenging behavior may serve.

  Does the individual's challenging behavior serve as an effective way of communicating a need?

  Is the individual avoiding/escaping an event or activity by engaging in the challenging behavior?

• Is there a possible skill deficit?

  • If you seldom see the individual exhibit the desired behavior under similar circumstances, assume the individual does not know how to do the behavior.

• Step Three: Develop an intervention plan.
  
• The intervention plan will be based on the information gathered and the hypotheses.
  
• The intervention plan will include, as appropriate:
  • Reorganizing setting events and antecedents
  • Altering consequences
  • Teaching new behaviors
• Checklist for developing behavioral intervention (Appendiex)