Functional Assessment of Self-Initiated Maladaptive Behaviors: A Case Study

Abstract

This study sought to perform a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) and develop a data-based behavior intervention plan (BIP) in order to address a student's maladaptive behaviors as exhibited in the regular education classroom setting. Of particular interest in this study was the finding that the FBA failed consistently to identify many of the environmental variables that interacted with the student's likelihood of demonstrating a wide range of severe problem behaviors. Nevertheless, interventions based on social skills and self-control strategies were sufficient to reduce the frequency of most problem behaviors and concurrently improve the student's level of academic performance. During a reversal-of-treatment, the student showed elevated levels of problem behavior; however, with the reinstatement of the treatment protocol, the student's behavior improved substantially. The role of private events and rule-governed behavior is discussed within the context of conducting FBAs and developing data-based treatment protocols. KEYWORDS: maladaptive behaviors, functional behavior assessment, self-initiated behavior, behavior intervention plan, self-control, social skills training A Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) is a systematic strategy for observing and recording variables that may interact with and maintain maladaptive behaviors. The majority of research on the efficacy of functional behavior assessment (FBA) has been conducted in an attempt to identify the variables interacting with maladaptive behavior in disabled populations (Ervin et al., 2001). Literature reviews show relatively fewer attempts to conduct FBAs in regular education settings (Nelson, Roberts, Bullis, Albers, & Ohland, 1999), and there have been particular concerns about the feasibility of using these procedures in regular education settings (Hanley, Iwata, & McCord, 2003).Nevertheless, regular education settings are now being required to implement the FBAs and data-based treatments (Quinn et al., 2001). Moreover, as a result of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendment of 1997, and forwarded by the most recent reauthorization in 2004, schools are required to conduct a functional 1

The History and Current Status of Behavior and Social Issues: 1978–2016

“…Glenn's publications have primarily focused on developing a conceptual framework to study cultural phenomenon (e.g., Glenn, 1986;Glenn & Malott, 2004;Glenn et al, 2016). Chris Ninness has published articles on a variety of topics, including education (Rumph, Ninness, McCuller, & Holland, 2007), functional assessments (Davis et al, 2008), and social skill development (Halle, Ninness, Ninness, & Lawson, 2016). Eight publishing institutions have had more than ten articles in BSI (see Table 3), with the University of North Texas as the leader with 32 publications followed by the University of Nevada, Reno with 26 publications.…”

The Automatic Graphing/Rotation Scan Procedure for Laptops and Cellphones: an Ecological Assessment System for Developing Local Norms

“…Using an electronic version of the above strategy, we have developed software that provides a more efficient and user intuitive system for accomplishing the same observation strategy while providing graphical illustrations that lend themselves to immediate outcome interpretations by behavior analysts, school personnel, parents, and/or other caregivers. Even in its original paper and pencil format, this type of preliminary direct observation system appears useful in conducting an FBA in that it identifies the extent to which a referred student engages in dysfunctional behavior/s relative to a local norm (see Davis, Ninness et al, 2008, for a discussion).…”

“…We are not recommending that a rotation scan be employed as an alternative to FBA; however, rotation scans can provide setting specific normative data that the FBA does not provide, potentially leading to different hypotheses regarding the variables responsible for any problem behaviors and subsequently leading to different interventions. Additionally, rotation scans can provide preliminary data that may help generate hypotheses to be tested in the FBA (e.g., Davis, Ninness, Rumph, McCuller, Ward, & Vasquez, 2008).…”

Effects of functional communication training and self-monitoring with programmed generalization for three students with or at-risk for emotional behavioral disorders.

“…Researchers continue to promote the importance of including assessments of setting generalization in function-based interventions. Among the 128 function based intervention studies that did not include setting generalization measures, 13 cited the lack of generalization measures as a limitation of the study and recommended that future studies incorporate an assessment of setting generalization into study designs, thus endorsing its applicability to the overall utility of FBA based interventions (Bessette & Wills, 2007;Broussard & Northup, 1997;Bruhn, McDaniel, Fenrando, & Troughton, 2016;Cox, Griffin, Hall, Oakes, & Lane, 2011;Davis, Ninness, Rumph, McCuller, Stahl, Ward & Vasquez, 2008;Ervin, DuPaul, Kern & Friman, 1998 …”