Functional Behavioral Assessment, FBA, is designed to identify, evaluate and devise an intervention plan to the behavior of a given individual. It is mostly used for students who behave in an unusual manner. The approach aims at getting to the root cause of the problem and creating an appropriate team to intervene. Functional behavior assessment steps enumerate the who, what, how, why, where and when is the problem at hand.
FBA was originally designed to assess students showing misbehavior, particularly children with autism or any form of mental retardation. Such individuals tend to display certain behavior in order to capture the attention of those around them. Sometimes, because of existing cognitive abnormalities, they end up behaving inappropriately without knowing.
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 second step in assessing the affected person is information gathering. Two main approaches are employed; direct and indirect. The indirect method seeks to establish the view of people who interact with the subject frequently. This can be done by requesting them to fill forms containing well thought-out questions concerning the case study, or simply conducting oral interviews. Using both tools gives the team a broader perspective because each has an advantage over the other.
After collecting data, the next step is to formulate a hypothesis which aims at drawing conclusions from the data collected. For example, some individuals behave the way they do because they feel neglected. Dismal academic scoring could be due to lack of knowledge and skills. Misbehavior could also be because the subject may not be aware that their actions are outside the norm.
Formulation of a hypothesis is followed by creating a plan for intervention based on the hypothesis. For the intervention plan to succeed, team co-operation is key. Every person in the team has a specific role assigned to them although some roles may overlap. Regardless of this, the overall intention is to provide overall modification of behavior.
The final step in FBA is to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. Data collection from close contacts and direct observation are the main tools used in analysis. If the intervention proves fruitless, the team needs to re-evaluate and come up with a different approach.
In summary, functional behavioral assessment is a process and not a single step. It requires skill, resources and an open mind. This is because conditions may change in the course of the study, which may require the assessor to conduct further assessment before moving to the next step.
FBA was originally designed to assess students showing misbehavior, particularly children with autism or any form of mental retardation. Such individuals tend to display certain behavior in order to capture the attention of those around them. Sometimes, because of existing cognitive abnormalities, they end up behaving inappropriately without knowing.
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 second step in assessing the affected person is information gathering. Two main approaches are employed; direct and indirect. The indirect method seeks to establish the view of people who interact with the subject frequently. This can be done by requesting them to fill forms containing well thought-out questions concerning the case study, or simply conducting oral interviews. Using both tools gives the team a broader perspective because each has an advantage over the other.
After collecting data, the next step is to formulate a hypothesis which aims at drawing conclusions from the data collected. For example, some individuals behave the way they do because they feel neglected. Dismal academic scoring could be due to lack of knowledge and skills. Misbehavior could also be because the subject may not be aware that their actions are outside the norm.
Formulation of a hypothesis is followed by creating a plan for intervention based on the hypothesis. For the intervention plan to succeed, team co-operation is key. Every person in the team has a specific role assigned to them although some roles may overlap. Regardless of this, the overall intention is to provide overall modification of behavior.
The final step in FBA is to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. Data collection from close contacts and direct observation are the main tools used in analysis. If the intervention proves fruitless, the team needs to re-evaluate and come up with a different approach.
In summary, functional behavioral assessment is a process and not a single step. It requires skill, resources and an open mind. This is because conditions may change in the course of the study, which may require the assessor to conduct further assessment before moving to the next step.
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