Student Interview and Preference Assessment as Functional Behavior Assessment Tools in Schools

Abstract

Functional behavior assessments (FBA) identify the consequences that maintain challenging behavior. Much of the current literature suggests that functional analyses are the most effective component of an FBA. However, functional analyses are most commonly used with children with developmental and intellectual disabilities. For children with complex verbal repertoires, other types of assessment may identify consequences maintaining behavior that can be subsequently manipulated as part of a classroom-based intervention. In the current study, we compared a student-completed interview and preference assessment to the outcomes of a functional analysis, and used the outcomes of all three assessments to evaluate classroom-based interventions to reduce challenging behavior. Conclusive assessment outcomes aligned for three of four target responses and interventions based on outcomes suppressed target responding for two of three students, indicating that students can identify functions of their own behavior during student-informed indirect assessments.

Effects of an enhanced choice model of skill‐based treatment for students with emotional/behavioral disorders

“…Such research should be undertaken carefully considering that many clients with problem behavior have experienced trauma (Bethell et al, 2014;Rajaraman et al, 2022). In addition, researchers should clearly articulate conditions under which procedures should be discontinued, whether based on direct communication from the client or signs of distress observed by experimenters (e.g., Mesches, 2017;Rajagopal et al, 2021). Ultimately, our students' preference for practice in the ECM is encouraging, particularly considering the vulnerable status of children of color with EBD.…”