Functional behavior assessment

Summary of Functional Behavior Assessment to Help Decrease Problem Behavior

The literature reflects an increasing reliance on functional behavioral assessment (FBA) to develop support plans for decreasing problem behavior. However, applications with students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), particularly in classroom settings, continue to be limited. The purpose of the present review was to explore the FBA process, as it has been applied in school settings with students with or at risk for EBD.

Three procedures were used to identify research studies in the area of functional assessment. First, computer searches of articles published between 1982 and 2003 were conducted of ERIC, Medline, and Psycinfo. Second, hand searches of journals in special education, school psychology, and behavior analysis/behavior support published in the past 2 years were completed. Finally, an ancestral search of the reference section of each identified article was conducted. The synthesis was limited to peer reviewed publications. Only articles that implemented any type of functional assessment or functional analysis were included. Studies that included participants with labels of EBD, described as at risk for EBD, or participants exhibiting behavior problems suggestive of, or consistent with, EBD were included.

Twenty research studies were identified that met inclusion criteria. Among the 20 studies, 43 participants met inclusion criteria. All of the studies were published between 1991 and 2002. All participants had diagnoses described as one or a combination of the following: at risk, attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, behavior disorder, bipolar disorder, emotional behavioral disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, schizophrenia, severe emotional disturbance, or mood disorder. Participant ranged in age from 4-14 years old. Overall, the mean age of participants was 9.4 years. The distribution across ages was fairly equivalent.

A variety of methodologies were used to complete the functional assessments. Naturalistic direct observation was used in 85% of the studies. This was followed by interview (80% of studies). An analog functional analysis was used in 4 of the 20 studies (20%). Fifteen percent of studies conducted a record review. Use of a rating scale was reported in one study (5%) and a person centered planning process in one study (5%). In the studies that did not conduct analog functional analyses, hypotheses were tested in 15 of the 16 studies. All hypotheses were tested in the classroom setting. Eleven studies specified the individual who conducted the hypotheses testing. This individual was the classroom teacher in eight of the studies, the researcher in two studies and both in one study. The duration of sessions during hypothesis testing ranged from 5 min to 50 min. The number of sessions conducted ranged from 3-10.

The review yielded several interesting findings and suggests potential directions for the field. First, there is a growing, and we would argue, adequate literature base to substantiate the applicability FBA with students exhibiting behaviors consistent with EBD. Second, the vast majority of studies used a combination of interview and direct observation to conduct the functional assessment. In fact, the only studies that did not use these two methodologies employed analog functional analyses. From a clinical perspective, the consistent use of interviews and direct observations in naturalistic settings leading to successful interventions strongly suggests they are useful, and perhaps necessary, for developing an assessment-based behavior support plan.

There continues to be many limitations in the functional assessment literature with students with EBD. A critical and ongoing problem is the implementation of assessments and subsequent interventions by researchers. While recent research (Ellingson, Miltenberger, Stricker, Galensky, & Garlinghouse, 2000), coupled with the large number of studies in which hypothesis testing was conducted by teachers, suggests that teachers and other school personnel are capable of conducting these analyses, there is no evidence to indicate if, or how often, this is occurring outside of research driven activities. Further research in this area is essential to clarify the extent to which the procedures used in the literature are being applied in practice. In addition, although the existing evidence suggests the potential for accurate and widespread application, the accuracy and feasibility of the process, when implemented by school staff alone, remains unclear. Finally, the feasibility of various methodologies, in the context of ongoing routines, needs to be assessed. In addition, there continues to be a need for research demonstrating how the process can be applied with students with internalizing disorders. Although our review sought to identify applications of FBA with internalizing behaviors, all of the studies identified targeted behaviors consistent with externalizing problems.

In summary, this review examined the process of functional behavioral assessment as it has been applied with students with or at risk for emotional and behavior disorders. The results of the review indicate that consistent use of particular methodologies (interview, direct observation) is emerging. Although gaps in the literature remain, the information gathered from the current review indicates that FBA, as applied with students with or at risk for EBD, represents an evidence-based practice, and its broad applicability and feasibility are promising.