Functional Assessment and Intervention for Behavior Problems

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Functional Assessment and Intervention for
Behavior Problems

• George H. Noell, Ph.D.
• Louisiana State University

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Core Principles

• 1. Be conservative
• No unneeded conclusions
• Insist on data / be serious
• (NASA, FAA, IRS, nursing)
• 2. Be about the individual, not groups
•  

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Core Principles

• 3. Be focused on behavior
• Avoid global summaries
• Avoid dead persons behavior
• Focus on behaviors that lead to success
• 4. Do more, talk less
•  
• 5. Follow a consistent procedure
• Assess ? interpret - link ? intervene

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What is functional assessment? Pg 3

• Assessment process and model that attempts to
  understand why behavior occurs at an individual
  level
• It is not a test and it assumes behavior occurs
  for a reason.

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What is assessed? Pg 5

• Behavior what students do
• challenge of non-behaviors (hyperactive)
• and of no behavior (not hitting)
• Antecedents triggers, contexts, activities,
  settings
• Consequences what happens after the behavior
• attempt understand at an individual functional
  level

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Why use functional assessment? Pg 8

• The law (IDEA 97)
• Treatment utility
• Best practice

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One Systematic Model (pgs 11-16)

• VAIL
• Validate ?
• Assess ?
• Interpret ?
• Link ?
• Intervene

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Validation Goals (pg 17)

• 1. Define the problem.
•  
• 2. Determine severity of the problem.
•  
• 3. Determine the type of problem (academic,
  behavior, both).

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Validation Goals 2

• 4. Determine the extent of the problem.
•  
• 5. Determine how resistant to intervention the
  problem is.
•  
• 6. Determine need for full functional assessment.

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Interview Forms pgs 179-181
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Classroom Coach Observationpgs 183 189
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Validation Assessment

• Interview
• Brief focused teacher, parent, student e.g.
• What are the primary concerns?
• What is their relative importance?
• When and how often do they occur?
• Do you have any theories about why the problem is
  occurring?

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Screening Assessment(Examples follow)

• Observe
• Target student and peers (interval recording)
• Review Create products
• Target student peers
• Test
• What does performance look like under optimized
  conditions?

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Screening Observation
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Classroom Screening ReadingMs. Hammers 2nd Grade
Referred student
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Classroom Screening ReadingMs. Lanfords 2nd
Grade
Referred student
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Motivational Assessment Example

• T. J. 10th Grade Student
• Problems completed correctly from Practical
  Math in 20 minute work period.

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R.C., Ms. Carr, 6th GradeFinding and defining
main points from a 300 word history passage
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Screening Outcomes Interpretations
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Screening Outcomes Interpretations 2
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III. Putting a Preliminary Intervention in Place
pg 27

• Develop an initial intervention targeting either
  skills or motivation.
• Implement a trial of the intervention.
• Evaluate that intervention.
• It was ineffective and (was or was not)
  implemented.
• Effective, but impractical
• Effective and practical.

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A word from our sponsorAcademic Achievement

• Chronic failure and negative feedback are
  undesirable conditions for any child.
•  Chronic academic failure that can set the
  occasion for problematic behaviors, negative
  affective states, and a negative self-perception.
•  Chronic academic failure can exacerbate other
  concerns.

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A word from our sponsorAcademic Achievement

•  Other professionals often assume that academic
  failure is the result of emotional or behavioral
  concerns. The reverse is frequently ignored
• Learning and academic performance are central
  expectations of children in schools. Successful
  treatment should allow a child to meet these
  expectations.

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Functional Assessment of Challenging Behaviors

• An Educators Last Resort
• Assess ? Interpret - Link ? Intervene

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The Assessment PhaseA-B-C
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Interviews Teachers, Parents, Students (pg 99
forms)

• Remain cautious about their meaning.
• Some prototypical questions
• When does the behavior occur most/least?
• How often does it occur?
• What typically happens after the behavior?
• Why do you think the behavior occurs?

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Interview outcomes

• Define problems
• Prioritize Problems
• Obtain initial behavior frequency estimates

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Record Reviews

• Obtain historical data
• Health issues
• Previous current services interventions
• Problems onset

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Selecting Observational MethodsTable 7.2 pg 105
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Observation Methods pg 104-113

• Consultant Observations
• Narrative easy, but high risk of bias
• A-B-C recording
• Interval-based recording
• Parent/Teacher Recording
• Behavioral diaries
• Scatter plots

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A-B-C Recording Grid
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Interval-based Recording pg 109
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Parent Teacher Recording

• Scatter Plot

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A-B-C Diaries pg 111
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Brief Observational Tests

• Planned environmental tests effects of
  antecedents or consequences are observed.
• Especially useful when
• No clear hypotheses
• Many hypotheses are suggested
• A quick decision is needed
• Infrequent behaviors (ethics)

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Assessment for Jerryadapted from case materials
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Sams Analysis
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Randys TestsClassroom Disruption
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Observational Tests for Samantha

• 10th grade special education student
• Escape hypothesis
• Choice of assignment order
• Earning relief
• Planned breaks
• Input on learning topics

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Samanthas Behavior
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Interpreting Data and Linking to Intervention

• Informal Data
• Interviews
• Record Reviews
• Narrative Recording
• Looking for patterns

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Interpreting Data and Linking to Intervention

• Formal Data
• Scatter plots A-B-C diaries Interval recording
  Observational test
• Mathematical statements
• 90 of problem behavior occurs during writing
• Acting out is followed by removal on70 of
  occasions
• Disruption is lowest during low difficult
  assignments
• Weighting Data
• Observational tests ?Formal Data ? Informal Data

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Developing an Interpretation
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Selected Intervention Approaches

• Changing Antecedents
• Changing assignments
• Reducing aversive events
• Providing choice
• Teaching new Responses
• Conflict management
• Help seeking
• Reinforcing these new behaviors

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Selected Intervention Approaches

• Extinction
• Ignoring or escape extinction
• Group contingencies
• Dont initiate this approach unless you are
  willing to follow through
• Reinforcing Alternative Behaviors
• Needs to be on a RICH schedule and it still may
  not work with out extinction

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Selected Intervention Approaches

• Change the problematic consequence so the student
  losses interest in it.
• Provide an alternative reinforcer for desired
  behavior.

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Intervention Too little behavior

• Skill versus performance deficit assessment
• Skill problems
• Teaching
• Programming for generalization
• Performance Deficits
• Competing behaviors contingencies
• Generalization programming

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Intervention Implementation

• Some Old Considerations
• Professionalism
• Honor, Ethics, Moral Behavior
• Causing Harm

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Intervention Implementation

• What training and materials?
• How will progress be monitored?
• How will implementation be documented and
  assured?
• How and when will progress be evaluated?

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Program Modifications

• Modification of interventions is similar to all
  educational programming, they should be
• Occasioned by success
• Occasioned by failure
• Data based
• An on-going integral part of the process