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jeudi 10 mai 2018

The Basics Of Functional Behavior Assessment Steps

By Harold Olson


Human behavior is as varied as the number of unique finger prints. Functional behavior assessment, also known as FBA, is an approach used to identify unique problems, especially among students. It methodically attempts to know why a person has certain behavioral tendencies and how this behavioral patters can be altered to fit societal norms and standards. Functional behavior assessment steps are systematic and should be keenly followed.

The initial objective of FBA was to help in identifying students with abnormal behavior and coming up with measures to keep the problem in check. It targeted students with intellectual disability such as those who had autism. Some of the key pointers that helped in picking them out included lagging way behind academically, poor social interaction and attention seeking behavior.

Knowing the exact problem at hand is the very first step in this process. It takes time and objectivity to know that the subject is exposed to different environments including culture, politics and religion among other factors. The assessor therefore needs to combine all these factors to come up with a pattern of behavior.

The next step is to gather information using both direct and indirect methods. Direct assessment involves observing the problem firsthand and taking note of the circumstances surrounding the problem. The indirect method uses the opinion of a third party to assess the behavior of the subject and to get to understand them using a different perspective. The third party is usually a person close to the subject such as parents, teachers, siblings and friends. Various tools can be used in indirect assessment, including questionnaires and interviews.

The third step is formulation of a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a theory that tries to explain why the person being assessed portrays a given kind of behavior. To illustrate this, a student may be performing poorly in class simply because they are not equipped with the required knowledge. One may also intentionally perform dismally as a way of seeking much needed attention.

Following hypothesis formulation, the FBA team has to come up with plans to intervene. The goal is to create awareness and to work at entirely changing the behavior if possible. If dealing with a student, for instance, a team involving the teacher, the parent and any other close association is crucial in addressing the problem. The intervention of an expert can also be considered depending on how deep rooted the problem is.

The fifth and last step is to analyze the outcome of intervention. Just as was done in data collection, direct and indirect techniques are used as tools of analysis. The team involved in intervention needs to provide comprehensive feedback regarding the fruitfulness of the process. Outcome can also be assessed by merely observing the subject and noting any positive changes.

In a nutshell, the main steps in functional behavioral assessment include problem identification, data collection, hypothesis creation, intervention and outcome evaluation. Clearly, it is not a single day process neither is it a single person task. It takes a good amount of time and team effort to start seeing results. One has to be resourceful and objective for the process to be a success.




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