TAKING THE MYSTERY OUT

OF FUNCTIONAL

ANALYSISIsabelle Cowan, MASP, L. Psych, BCBA

Marlene Breitenbach, M.S.Ed, BCBATracy Miller, M.Ed

Danielle Rochon, B.A.

TYPICAL SCENARIO

Student with significant behavioural challengesFrustrated team

Messy dataExpectation

CASE EXAMPLEFrequent episodes of aggression since K

Escalation to point of restraint and use of a time-out room

Frequent consultations from various competent professionals

Mounds of ABC data

Inconclusive results from interviews

Direct observations a challenge with so many different variables in play at once

NEED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT

FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS Setting up situations in which you are

manipulating the antecedent and providing a consequence when the target behaviour occurs.

Purpose: to identify the function of the behaviour (what is maintaining the behaviour)

“Allergy test”

Large body of research to support the use of this methodology

PROCEDURES ARE STRAIGHT FORWARD Iwata, B, et al, (2000). Skill acquisition in

the implementation of functional analysis methodology. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 33, 181-194.

Taught undergraduate students how to conduct Functional Analysis conditions within 2 hours by explaining the procedures, modeling and giving feedback.

Article describes how to carry out the functional analysis.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF CONDITIONS

Alone (Automatic Reinforcement)

• Give student opportunity to engage in the problem behaviour without consequence

Attention

• Provide student with attention when behaviour occurs

Play (Control condition)

• Provide an enriched environment with no demands and provide attention on a frequent basis

Demand (Escape)

• Allow student to escape the task demand when behaviour occurs

OTHER POSSIBLE CONDITIONTangible

• Provide student with a desired item when the behaviour occurs (choose the item that you suspect the student is engaging in the behaviour to get)

EVOLVING PERSPECTIVE IN REGARD TO FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS

This is not rocket

science!

Let me look

into it

Only for the elite

WHO CAN DO A FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS?

Undergraduate students (Iwata et al., 2000)

B.A. level therapists (Moore et al. 2002)

Teachers (Wallace et al., 2004)Parents taught how to carry out FA

through teleconferencing (Barretto et al., 2006)

PROCESS Target behaviour: verbal complaints and

whining (precursor behaviour to aggression)

5 sessions: Four 10 minute conditions in which we set up the situation to potentially evoke the behaviour and arrange a specific consequence.

Data Collection: Recorded when behaviour occurred.

Result: More frequent behaviour in attention condition.

REQUIRED SKILLS Identify your target behaviour

Follow instructions

Provide a consequence when the target behaviour occurs

Record behaviour when it occurs

Interpret the data

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?

When you understand the function of the behaviour, the effectiveness of the intervention can be significantly improved.

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?

Helps to identify what the student needs to learn to replace the target behaviour (DRA).

Provides convincing data for staff to change their own behaviour (EXTINCTION).

Helps to know what reinforcer you should make available so that the student isn’t as motivated to seek it out (NON-CONTINGENT REINFORCEMENT)

MODELING OF THE ASSESSMENT CONDITIONS

EXAMPLE OF EACH CONDITION 2 minute demonstration of each condition

Target behaviour : Hit the table with open hand or closed fist, with enough force so that it can be heard by the teacher.

Non-examples: touching the table; brushing against the table.

Data collection method: Frequency count

Task: Observe each assessment condition and record each occurrence of the behaviour

DATA SHEET Frequency Count

Condition Frequency of Behaviour Totals

Attention  / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / 18

Demand  / / / 3Play   0

Alone   0 

(Note: For each condition presented, write a tally during the interval then record the totals)

ALONE CONDITION•Adult present, but no social interaction occurs. •No access to toys, leisure materials or preferred items.

Antecedent

•Individual engages in the target behaviour

Behaviour

•When target behaviour occurs, do not do or say anything. •Do not make eye contact or make changes in facial expressions.

Consequence

If a target behaviour occurs most frequently in this

condition

then, it is likely that the behaviour itself produces its

own reinforcer (self-stimulation).

ALONE CONDITION (AUTOMATIC REINFORCEMENT)

ATTENTION CONDITION•Leisure and play materials available•Inform individual that you will be busy•Provide no further attention

Antecedent

•Individual engages in target behaviour

Behaviour

•When target behaviour occurs, approach individual and make a statement of concern. You can pair comment with brief physical contact.•e.g. "Don't do that, you might get hurt."

Consequence

ATTENTION CONDITION

If a target behaviour occurs most frequently in this

condition

then, it is likely that the behaviour is maintained by

attention.

PLAY CONDITION (CONTROL)

• Free access to toys, leisure materials, and known preferred activities.

• At 30-second intervals, approach the student and make a comment for 5-10 seconds

• Respond to any appropriate social behaviour

Antecedent

•Individual engages in target behaviour

Behaviour

•There are no consequences for problem behavior, except that attention should be delayed if problem behavior occurs just as attention is about to be delivered.

Consequence

It is not expected that the student will engage in the

behaviour at a high frequency during this condition. If a target behaviour occurs

frequently in this condition

then, it is likely that the behaviour itself produces its

own reinforcer (self-stimulation).

PLAY CONDITION (CONTROL)

If a target behaviour occurs frequently in this condition

and in the demand condition

then, it is likely that the behaviour is maintained by

escape from social interaction in general.

PLAY CONDITION (CONTROL) 2ND POSSIBILITY

DEMAND CONDITION (ESCAPE)

• Present relevant task demands; including known disliked tasks.

• Client complies: Deliver praise.• If does not comply within 5 seconds,

demonstrate• If does not comply within 5 seconds,

physically prompt.• Provide continuous demands until end of

session

Antecedent

•Individual engages in target behaviour

Behaviour

•When target behaviour occurs, the demand is immediately removed /terminated without comment and presented again after 20-30 seconds.

Consequence

If a target behaviour occurs most frequently in this

condition

Then it is likely that the behaviour is maintained by escape from task demands.

DEMAND CONDITION (ESCAPE)

EXAMPLE OF TANGIBLE CONDITION 2 minute demonstration

Target behaviour : Scratching/rubbing head (any hand motion on head)

Scratching can be of any level of intensity.

Data collection method: Partial Interval

Task: Observe the assessment condition and record whether the behaviour occurred at any point during the interval.

DATA SHEET Partial Interval:

• Mark a “+” in the interval box when the behaviour occurs during any part of the interval Mark a “–“ if the behaviour does not occur at all during the interval.

• Intervals are every 10 seconds in this example. (They can also be 20 seconds in other situations).

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

% of intervals “+”

Tangible

                                          

TANGIBLE CONDITION• Provide brief access to

preferred item, then remove the item and ignore the student.

Antecedent

•Individual engages in target behaviour

Behaviour

•When target behaviour occurs, provide brief access to the item then remove it again and ignore.

Consequence

If a target behaviour occurs most frequently in this

condition

then, it is likely that the behaviour is maintained by

access to an item.

TANGIBLE CONDITION

TAILOR THE PROCESS TO WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FORSchlichenmeyer, K.J., et al (2013) Provides ideas on how to modify

conditions to assess different antecedents.Ex.

Demand condition: easy task/hard task Attention condition: attention provided by peer

vs adult; different types of attention , Etc.

CASE STUDY Grade 8 student Target behaviour: looking at and pointing to

other people’s feet Informal staff interviews and multiple

observations FA conducted in one morning – 2 hours total 5 conditions (Attention [2]; Demand [2]; Alone

[3]; Play [1]; Tangible [1]) Each condition lasted 5 minutes (brief FA) Consultant conducted FA; EA held video camera

or left the room Data collected afterwards by watching video

(permanent product)

1 2 30

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

3

0 001

3

0

2

19

Frequency of target behaviour across FA conditions

Alone (3)Attention (2)Play (1)Demand (2)Tangible (1)

Sessions

Occ

uren

ces

of B

ehav

iur

CONSIDERATIONSCandidates for FA: Behaviour interferes significantly with

learning; “nothing working”; Behaviour Support Plan in place but

behaviour is worsening; Behaviour is severe and chronic and FA

would be faster than another approach; Descriptive FBA was done but function

is still unclear

CONSIDERATIONSCareful and Collaborative Planning Informed consent and scheduling Target Behaviour: CLEAR definition

(precursor behaviours less risky) Space: classroom? room away from ongoing

activity? Participant Roles: instructor and data

collector; practice? tape? Materials: preferred, non-preferred

CONSIDERATIONSCareful Planning

Conditions : order? duration? Identify potential risksExit strategy: What level of behaviour

would indicate that session should be shortened or stopped?

Try out with a non aggressive behaviour

KEY QUESTIONS What did you learn from this session?

Were there any surprises?

Identify and discuss a case where this approach may be of benefit.

What are some steps you would need to do to get started?

What are your questions for the presenters?

REFERENCES Barretto A, Wacker D.P, Harding J, Lee J, Berg W. Using

telemedicine to conduct behavioral assessments. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. 2006;39:333–340.

Iwata, B, et al, (2000). Skill acquisition in the implementation of functional analysis methodology. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 33, 181-194.

Moore J.W, Edwards R.P, Sterling-Turner H.E, Riley J, DuBard M, McGeorge A. Teacher acquisition of functional analysis methodology. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. 2002;35:73–77.

Schlichenmeyer, K.J., et al (2013). Idiosyncratic variables that affect functional analysis outcomes: A Review (2001-2010). Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 46, 339-348.

Wallace M.D, Doney J.K, Mintz-Resudek C.M, Tarbox R.S.F. Training educators to implement functional analyses. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. 2004;37:89–92.