As a practicing independent Behavior Analyst, you have received an email from a staff member representing a provider of education and/or human services requesting your services. Specifically, this staff member has asked you to meet with other staff and/or administrators to develop a behavior intervention plan for a third-grade student at a local elementary school. This student is demonstrating significant problem behaviors in the form of disruptive behaviors in his classroom and in other settings within the school (lunch, recess, specials, etc.). Disruptive behaviors have been termed “aggressive” and “non-compliant” by school staff.
QUESTION
Assignment Details
As a practicing independent Behavior Analyst, you have received an email from a staff member representing a provider of education and/or human services requesting your services. Specifically, this staff member has asked you to meet with other staff and/or administrators to develop a behavior intervention plan for a third-grade student at a local elementary school. This student is demonstrating significant problem behaviors in the form of disruptive behaviors in his classroom and in other settings within the school (lunch, recess, specials, etc.). Disruptive behaviors have been termed “aggressive” and “non-compliant” by school staff.
Please detail responses to the following:
Specify the referral problem. Be creative and describe the type of provider that has requested your services, the client, and provide operational definitions for the problem behaviors indicated in the scenario.
In a script or narrative format, provide information to the members of the “planning” meeting including the following:
- Describe the specific purposes of a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) and discuss why conducting the FBA prior to the development of a behavior intervention plan is important.
- Describe, in specific detail, how antecedent stimuli and conditions could be potentially important for the assessment of the target behaviors in the scenario. Please include discussion of the influence of Discriminative Stimuli and Motivating Operations in triggering the target behaviors.
- Describe, in specific detail, how Consequence stimuli and conditions could be potentially important for the assessment of the target behaviors. Be sure to indicate the influences of Positive Reinforcement, Negative Reinforcement, and Automatic Reinforcement in maintaining the target behaviors.
- Describe three (3) Indirect Functional Assessment procedures that you may be implementing during the process of the Functional Behavioral Assessment. Be sure to specify how they will be used and the purpose of each tool.
- Describe three (3) Direct Descriptive Assessment procedures you may be implementing during the process of the Functional Behavioral Assessment. Be sure to specify how they will be used and the purpose of each tool.
- Describe, in specific detail, at least two (2) ethical obligations and/or concerns that would be necessary to address within the current case scenario. (You may use either, or both, APA and BACB guidelines as reference).
Tips for developing your responses:
The staff that you are presenting to think that, as a Behavior Analyst, you will be able to develop a behavior plan on the spot during this meeting that is both easy to administer and effective at modifying the behavior of the client in question. The staff clearly knows nothing about behavioral assessment processes. It is your job to assist them in understanding the process of Functional Behavioral Assessment and its necessity before any interventions can be developed and implemented.
Be sure to discuss antecedent stimuli and consequence stimuli based on the function (purpose) that the target (problem) behavior serves and not the choice of intervention. The goal is to identify variables that are related to the occurrence of the problem behavior, not to develop an intervention.
Be mindful of making solid choices of the procedures you will be highlighting based on the scenario presented as well as rationales for your choices.
Indirect Assessment Tools / Procedures:
- The Functional Behavioral Assessment Screening Form
- The Behavioral Stream Interview
- The Antecedent Variables Assessment Form
- The Individual Variables Assessment Form
- The Consequence Variables Assessment Form
Directive Descriptive Tools / Procedures:
- Task Difficulty Antecedent Analysis Form
- The Conditional Probability Record
- The Functional Behavioral Assessment Form
- Interval Recording Procedures
- Task Analysis Recording Procedure
Directions:
- Assignment should be a minimum of 3-5 pages not including the title and reference pages.
- If you feel you must find outside resources for assistance, please utilize academically legitimate resources. (DO NOT use websites and Wiki’s that are not peer-reviewed)
- DO NOT focus on the use of diagnoses or labels.
- Be specific and detailed; do not just list items and facts.
- You may take creative license and add to the scenario by fleshing out the student’s history or presenting problems if you choose.
- Please type your narrative essay using 12-point, Times New Roman font and double-spacing.
- Provide APA Style, in-text citations for your sources.
- Use Standard English writing requirements.
Reading and Resources
Read Chapter 9 in Conducting School-Based Functional Behavioral Assessments: A Practitioner’s Guide: “Experimental Functional Behavior Assessment”
Chapter 9 presents information on the process of testing the hypotheses identified during indirect and direct assessment methods through the use of Brief Functional Analysis.
TEXTBOOKS
Steege, Mark W., Jamie Pratt, Garry Wickerd, Richard Guare, T. Watson. (2019). Conducting School-Based Functional Behavioral Assessments, Third Edition..
ANSWER
Functional Behavioral Assessment and Behavior Intervention Planning
Introduction
As an independent Behavior Analyst, I have been contacted by a staff member representing a local elementary school. The school staff has requested my services to develop a behavior intervention plan for a third-grade student who is exhibiting disruptive behaviors in various settings within the school, including the classroom, lunch, recess, and specials. The disruptive behaviors have been described as “aggressive” and “non-compliant” by the school staff. In order to effectively address these behaviors, it is essential to conduct a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) to gain a thorough understanding of the underlying factors contributing to the student’s actions.
Purpose of Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)
The primary purpose of conducting an FBA is to identify the functional relationship between the problem behaviors and the environment. By systematically assessing the antecedents (triggers) and consequences (maintaining factors) associated with the problem behaviors, an FBA helps to determine the function or purpose that the behaviors serve for the student. This information is crucial for developing an effective behavior intervention plan.
Antecedent Stimuli and Conditions
Antecedent stimuli and conditions play a significant role in triggering the target behaviors exhibited by the student (Urcuioli, 2005). Discriminative stimuli (SD) are cues or signals that indicate the likelihood of reinforcement being available for a particular behavior. Identifying the specific SDs that precede the problem behaviors is essential for understanding the contextual triggers. For instance, specific tasks, requests, or environmental factors may function as discriminative stimuli and evoke the disruptive behaviors.
Motivating operations (MOs) refer to internal or external events that can influence the value or reinforcing effectiveness of certain stimuli or consequences. It is important to assess the presence of motivating operations that may increase or decrease the likelihood of the problem behaviors occurring. For example, the student may engage in disruptive behaviors when experiencing frustration due to academic challenges (establishing operation) or when seeking attention from peers or adults (maintaining operation).
Consequence Stimuli and Conditions
Consequence stimuli and conditions are instrumental in maintaining the problem behaviors exhibited by the student. Positive reinforcement involves the delivery of a desirable stimulus immediately following the occurrence of the behavior, which increases the likelihood of its recurrence. It is essential to identify the specific positive reinforcers that follow the disruptive behaviors. For instance, the student may engage in aggressive behaviors to obtain attention or access preferred activities.
Negative reinforcement refers to the removal or avoidance of an aversive stimulus contingent upon the occurrence of the behavior, leading to an increase in the likelihood of its repetition. Identifying the aversive stimuli that are removed or avoided by the student’s disruptive behaviors is crucial. For example, the student may engage in non-compliant behaviors to escape or avoid difficult academic tasks or social demands.
Automatic reinforcement occurs when the behavior itself produces reinforcing consequences without the involvement of other people. Understanding the self-reinforcing aspects of the problem behaviors is important. For example, the student may engage in disruptive behaviors to self-stimulate or regulate their own sensory experiences.
Indirect Functional Assessment Procedures
Functional Behavioral Assessment Screening Form: This form can be used to gather preliminary information from teachers, parents, and other individuals who interact with the student. It helps identify patterns, triggers, and consequences associated with the problem behaviors.
Behavioral Stream Interview: Conducting interviews with the student, teachers, and parents can provide additional insights into the antecedents and consequences of the disruptive behaviors. This interview allows for the exploration of the student’s perspective and helps in generating hypotheses regarding the function of the behaviors.
Antecedent Variables Assessment Form: This form assists in systematically documenting and analyzing the various antecedent stimuli and conditions that may contribute to the occurrence of the problem behaviors. It helps identify common triggers and patterns across different settings.
Direct Descriptive Assessment Procedures
Task Difficulty Antecedent Analysis Form: This form is used to assess the relationship between task demands and the occurrence of the problem behaviors. By systematically manipulating the difficulty level of tasks, the behavior analyst can determine if the disruptive behaviors are more likely to occur in response to specific task demands or when the tasks are too challenging for the student.
Conditional Probability Record: This procedure involves recording the frequency and occurrence of specific antecedent events and behaviors to determine the conditional probability of the problem behaviors (Camp et al., 2009). By examining the relationship between antecedent events and the occurrence of the target behaviors, patterns, and correlations can be identified.
Functional Behavioral Assessment Form: This comprehensive form collects direct observational data on the problem behaviors and their antecedents and consequences. It allows for the systematic documentation of the context, duration, intensity, and frequency of the behaviors and the immediate consequences that follow.
Ethical Obligations and Concerns:
Confidentiality: As behavior analysts, we are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of the student’s information and ensuring that it is only shared with individuals who have a legitimate need to know (Eckert et al., 2005). In this case, it is important to obtain appropriate consent and communicate the limits of confidentiality to the staff and administrators involved in the planning meeting.
Informed Consent: Before conducting the FBA and implementing any interventions, obtaining informed consent from the student’s parents or legal guardians is crucial. They should be provided with detailed information about the assessment process’s purpose, procedures, potential risks, and benefits. Informed consent ensures that parents are actively involved in the decision-making process and have a clear understanding of their rights and responsibilities.
Conclusion
In the planning meeting with the staff and administrators, it is important to emphasize the necessity of conducting a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) before developing a behavior intervention plan. The FBA allows us to understand the function of the problem behaviors, identify the antecedents and consequences that contribute to their occurrence, and design effective interventions to address them. By implementing indirect and direct assessment procedures, such as interviews, forms, and observational data collection, we can gather comprehensive information about the student’s behavior patterns and develop targeted interventions that promote positive behavior change. Additionally, ethical considerations regarding confidentiality and informed consent should be prioritized throughout the assessment and intervention process to ensure the well-being and rights of the student and their family.
References
Eckert, T. L., Martens, B. K., & DiGennaro, F. D. (2005). Describing Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence Relations Using Conditional Probabilities and the General Operant Contingency Space: A Preliminary Investigation. School Psychology Review, 34(4), 520–528. https://doi.org/10.1080/02796015.2005.12088013
Camp, E. M., Iwata, B. A., Hammond, J., & Bloom, S. E. (2009). ANTECEDENT VERSUS CONSEQUENT EVENTS AS PREDICTORS OF PROBLEM BEHAVIOR. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 42(2), 469–483. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2009.42-469
Urcuioli, P. J. (2005). Behavioral and associative effects of differential outcomes in discrimination learning. Animal Learning & Behavior, 33(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.3758/bf03196047

We've got everything to become your favourite writing service
Money back guarantee
Your money is safe. Even if we fail to satisfy your expectations, you can always request a refund and get your money back.
Confidentiality
We don’t share your private information with anyone. What happens on our website stays on our website.
Our service is legit
We provide you with a sample paper on the topic you need, and this kind of academic assistance is perfectly legitimate.
Get a plagiarism-free paper
We check every paper with our plagiarism-detection software, so you get a unique paper written for your particular purposes.
We can help with urgent tasks
Need a paper tomorrow? We can write it even while you’re sleeping. Place an order now and get your paper in 8 hours.
Pay a fair price
Our prices depend on urgency. If you want a cheap essay, place your order in advance. Our prices start from $11 per page.