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| Conducting Functional Behavior Assessments in School/Residential Settings: Balancing Rigor With Practicality |
| Friday, May 23, 2014 |
| 8:00 AM–3:00 PM |
| W180 (McCormick Place Convention Center) |
| Area: PRA/TBA; Domain: Applied Research |
| CE Instructor: Aaron Barnes, Ph.D. |
| AARON BARNES (Michigan's Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative), AMY CAMPBELL (Grand Valley State University) |
| Description: The scope of what constitutes a functional behavior assessment (FBA) in many educational and home settings is broad and varied. Practice may range from informal interviews and anecdotal narrative observation summaries to analog functional analysis, and everything in between. Both policy and resources play a role in determining what the FBA process entails for a particular case in a particular setting, but in many cases steps can be taken to increase both the efficiency and effectiveness of our efforts. This workshop will address practices to increase both the scientific rigor and treatment utility of FBA in natural settings. The presented practices will include selecting indirect and direct assessment methods, conducting assessments with focused efficiency to yield more useful data in less time, utilizing data from indirect assessments to help guide direct assessment procedures, linking data collection from baseline to intervention progress monitoring, and troubleshooting common problems encountered in the assessment and intervention stages of service delivery. The presentation will incorporate technology to enhance data collection procedures. A focus of the workshop will be to share how increased precision during the assessment phase of FBA enhances the development and efficacy of behavior support plans. |
| Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this workshop, the participants will be able to (1) describe the rationale for selecting particular indirect and direct assessment tools in natural (e.g., school, home, community) settings; (2) increase the efficiency of FBA interviews by gathering information that contributes to a functional hypothesis and to the efficiency of conducting direct observations; (3) utilize technology to enhance data collection; (4) conduct targeted direct observation procedures with minimal disruption to naturally occurring contingencies; (5) collect data with high treatment utility in less time; and (6) link the data to behavior support strategies. |
| Activities: This workshop will alternate between lecture and hands-on activities, including reviewing assessment methods, evaluating initial assessment data to inform subsequent assessment and support plans, demonstrating different ways technology can be utilized to enhance assessment, and reviewing videotaped exercises to practice newly acquired skills. |
| Audience: The workshop requires participants to have foundational knowledge of applied behavior analysis methods and terminology. The presentation is intended for professionals who design, implement, fund, support, and evaluate functional behavior assessment and subsequent interventions in natural settings including schools, homes, day programs, and residential facilities. This target audience may include BACB certificants and licensed psychologists, educators, therapists, social workers, clinic- or school-based psychologists, graduate-level students, and behavior specialists or analysts. |
| Content Area: Practice |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| Keyword(s): Efficient Assessment, Functional Assessment, Provider Collaboration |