Presented by Christina Vorndran, Ph.D., BCBA-D and Frances Perrin, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Bancroft
This workshop presents an in-depth description of the most common variations to the standard functional analysis methodology. Attendees should have familiarity with the principles of applied behavior analysis and basic functional analysis procedures.
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Bancroft | Assessment of Challenging Behavior: Beyond the Basic Functional Analysis at Autism NJ
1. Assessment of Challenging
Behavior: Beyond the Basic
Functional Analysis
Frances A. Perrin, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Christina M. Vorndran, Ph.D., BCBA-D
息 2012 | Bancroft All rights reserved.
2. Learning objectives
Attendees will be able to identify:
how to use functional assessment data to
develop procedural variations to the
functional analysis conditions
several procedural variations for clarifying the
results of an undifferentiated functional
analysis
examples from the literature to support such
procedural variations
3. Functional analysis methodology
Gold standard for identifying variables
maintaining challenging behavior
General procedures established by Iwata et al.
(1982/1994)
Systematic manipulation of antecedents and
consequences to test for existing functional
relationships
Compare test conditions to control
3
5. Functional analysis results
Empirical demonstration of functional
relationships
Sometimes results are not clear/complete
idiosyncratic variables
target behavior not observed
results do not match hypothesis
inconsistent/variable rates across all conditions -
misinterpreted as automatic
function-based treatment ineffective
5
6. Clarifying inconsistent results
Research literature reports 5% inconclusive
results with FA
Methodological modifications
Antecedent variables
Consequence variables
Other
6
7. Clarifying inconsistent results
Use existing functional assessment data
Collect additional data in natural environment
Interviews
Observations
Select modification and make sure to establish
an appropriate control condition
7
9. Manipulating antecedents
Use results of FBA to inform variations
Each condition can be modified
Discriminative stimuli
Motivating operations
Additional assessments may be conducted prior
to conducting an FA or following an FA with
inconsistent results
9
10. Demand assessment
Smith, Iwata, Goh, & Shore (1995)
Novelty compared the reinforcing effects of
escape from familiar vs unfamiliar tasks
Duration 15 minute sessions; looked at within
session trends in challenging behavior
Rate compared high (30 trials) vs low (10 trials)
rate conditions
Additional assessment helped to identify the specific
dimension of demand responsible for the escape
function for 89% of the participants
10
11. Demand assessment
Roscoe, Rooker, Pence, & Longworth (2009)
Assessed 12 different tasks per participant
Identified high-p and low-p demands
Compared both types in a standard
multielement FA
Differentially higher rates of challenging
behavior were observed in the low-p condition
for all participants
11
12. Example of a need for
additional assessment
5
4.5
Agg, Dis, SIB per Minute
4
3.5
Alone
3 Social Attention
Toy Play
2.5
Demand
2 Tangible
1.5
1
0.5
0
1 5 9 13 17 21 25 29
Session
12
13. Type of task
3
Academics
Agg, Dis, SIB per Minute
2.5
2
1.5
Vocational
1
0.5
Toy Play
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Session
13
15. Attention assessment
Roantree & Kennedy (2006)
Evaluated whether attention functioned as an
EO or AO
Compared results of multielement FAs
EO test - 4 sessions (1 each condition) per day
preceded by 20 min of attention
AO test 4 sessions (1 each condition) per day
preceded by no attention
15
20. Other antecedent manipulations
Combined MOs
Call, Wacker, Ringdahl, & Boelter (2005)
Specific or consistent Sds associated with each
condition (e.g., therapists, stimuli, colors)
Conners et al. (2000)
Idiosyncratic antecedents that evoke behavior
(e.g., trigger words)
20
30. Golonka et al. (2000)
Evaluated response allocation to two break
options for 2 individuals whose behavior was
known to be maintained by escape
Break alone vs break with attention and enriched
environment
Results indicated that the enriched break option
was associated with an increase in choice
making and compliance
Implications for modifying a functional analysis
30
32. Other variations
Extended alone
Antecedent (AB) only
Hypothesis testing via pairwise
Trial-based
32
33. Vollmer, Marcus, Ringdahl, &
Roane (1995)
Evaluated the effects of a methodology for
progressing from brief to extended FA to
clarify undifferentiated results
Proposed extended alone condition as a
method for ruling out an automatic function
If behavior persists automatic
If behavior extinguishes likely socially maintained
33
34. Is it automatic?
7
Multi-element Extended Alone
6
Number of Perseverations
5
Control
4
Attention
Tangible
3 Alone
Escape
2
1
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47
Session
34
35. Antecedent only (AB) method
Procedures introduced by Carr & Durand
(1985)
Systematically manipulate difficulty of demands
and levels of attention
Between 1994-2000, approximately 20% of
studies reported in the literature used this
methodology to conduct a functional analysis
35
36. Limitations of AB method
Programmed consequences for the
challenging behavior do not include
functional reinforcer
Functional relationships are not demonstrated
Cannot be used for automatic reinforcement
because no control condition
37. Pairwise design
Test vs control conditions
Based on results from indirect and other
direct assessment
Conduct only the conditions necessary to
confirm the hypothesis saves time
38. Trial-based method
Bloom, Iwata, Fritz, Roscoe, & Carreau (2011)
Evaluated a trial-based approach to FA in a
classroom setting
Trials consisted of three 2 min segments of
control test control
If target behavior occurred within the 2 min
test condition, it was reinforced and trial was
ended
38
39. Bloom et al. (2011)
Results showed:
Correspondence of
function identified for 6 of 10
participants.
Partial correspondence for 1
of
the remaining 4 participants.
No correspondence for 3
participants.
39
41. Benefits of FA
FA identifies functional relationships between the
antecedents, consequences, and target behavior
Allows for the development of interventions that
target the maintaining variables
As more specific reinforcement-based procedures
have been implemented based on results of FAs
Decreased need for default treatments
Decreased need for punishment procedures
42. A challenge of FA
Inconsistent results
Standard conditions are not be sufficient at
producing differentiated results for every individual
with challenging behavior
Extensions of methodology allow for identification
of specific variables maintaining challenging behavior
43. Best practices
Choosing the approach to the functional analysis
Inconclusive results from standard methodology leads
to variations in conditions based on information
collected through direct observation
In depth analysis of direct observation data prior to
FA leads to variations in conditions or pre-assessment
43
44. Conclusions
Functional analysis methodology continues
to be the gold standard for identifying
variables maintaining challenging behavior
Systematic manipulation of antecedents and
consequences to test for existing functional
relationships is necessary when initial results
are inconsistent
There is still room for additional changes to
improve efficiency and generality
45. Questions?
For a copy of this presentation please email
Dr. Vorndran at
Christina.vorndran@bancroft.org