Quiz 4 - Don

Limitations of FA

-may temporarily strengthen prob behav -behav may acquire new functions -frequency may be low -difficult for serious, low freq behav -may not identify variable related to prob behav -requires time, effort, and professional experience

Functional Analysis

-Antecedents and consequences are arranged so that their separate effects on problem behavior can be observed and measured -May be 'analog' (similar to what is occurring in natural routine, but more systematic; allows for better control -May be natural environment -Arrange simple test situations "conditions" -A potential EO, antecedent stimuli, and consequences for the behavior in each condition -Compare target behavior across conditions

Advantages of FA

-clear demonstration of variables that relate to the occurrence of problem behavior -standard of scientific evidence to which all other forms of FBA are evaluated -enables development of effective reinforcement based treatment

Four assumptions of an FBA

1. Problem and appropriate behavior are supported by the current environment 2. Problem behavior serves a function 3. Problem behavior can be changed using intervention strategies that address the function of behavior 4. FBA is a team based approach

Sensory/automatic

Aberrant behavior may persist independent of social consequence found in home, community and school setting Aberrant behavior may be positively or negatively reinforced by perceptual and sensory consequences produced by the behavior itself

Tangible

Care providers and peers often respond to problem bx by giving the client tangible items or access to a preferred activity Aberrant bx may be positively reinforced by access to tangibles or activities that a client wants

Attention

Care providers often respond to problem behavior with reprimands, response interruption, comfort, etc May reinforce client behavior

Hanley (2012) Address concerns regarding function detection with... The difficulty of "selling" the analysis to constituents

Consider: Building therapeautic relationship via open ended interviewing Describe practical and humane reasons Emulating conditions they described as being important to problem behavior in your analysis

Hanley (2012) Address concerns regarding function detection with... The complexity of an analysis

Consider: Conducting an analysis informed by an open ended interview consisting of only a single test condition and intimately matched control condition

Hanley (2012) Address concerns regarding function detection with... Possible multiple functions of problem behavior

Consider: Conducting multiple test and control comparisons in succession Testing the indepdendent effects of different treatments based on different functions of problem behavior

Hanley (2012) Address concerns regarding function detection with... Covert problem behavior

Consider: Conducting the analysis in a baited environment and in the absence of others Conducting a reinforcer analysis in which the likely reinforcers for problem behavior are available concurrently and/or for arbitrary responses of similar effort

Hanley (2012) Address concerns regarding function detection with... Danger to the client or person running analysis

Consider: Conducting the analysis in an environment that allows for the problem behavior to occur safely Scheduling brief 5 minute sessions Implement trial based and latency based analyses Arrange for putative reinforcers to only be provided for precursors to the dangerous behavior in the test condition

Hanley (2012) Address concerns regarding regarding function detection with... Low rate problem behavior

Consider: Extending the durations of sessions and assessments Conducting analyses only when problem behavior is occurring

Hanley (2012) Address concerns regarding function detection with... What appears to be constantly changing reinforcers for problem behavior

Consider: Relying on the child's requests or current activity to identify the momentarily valuable reinforcers and establish the value of those reinforcers by briefly denying their access

Hanley (2012) Address concerns regarding function detection with... Multiple topographies of problem behavior

Consider: Restricting the class of behaviors that are reinforced in the analysis Systematically arrange for extinction of progressively more topographies

Hanley (2012) Address concerns regarding function detection with... The time required to conduct an analysis

Consider: Schedule brief 5 minute sessions Implement trial-based or latency-based analyses

Iwata et al (1982/1994)

Created general model for concurrently assessing sensitivity of SIB to contingencies (Sr+, Sr-, Automatic Reinforcement) In six of the nine subjects, higher levels of self injury were consistently associated with a specific stimulus condition, suggesting that within-subject variability was a function of distinct features of the social and/or physical environment.

Ecological assessment

Data on individual and environment (physical features, interactions with others, home, rf history); evaluate amount of descriptive data required to address current need

Steps conducting an FBA

Gather information via indirect and descriptive assessment Interpret information from indirect and descriptive assessment and formulate hypotheses about the purpose of problem behavior Test hypotheses using functional analysis Develop intervention options based on the function of problem behavior.

IISCA (Hanley, 2014)

Interview-Informed Synthesized Contingency Analysis (type of FA)

Escape/avoidance

Problem bx in home, community, and school setting is often responded to by removing task demands/aversive conditions from