• Watch the Unit 1 Lecture. (Video Transcripts)

As you have learned in Unit 1, identifying the function a target behavior serves for the individual is very important to designing an effective, function-based behavior intervention plan (BIP). We identify the function through the collection of data on the antecedents and consequences of the target behavior, typically using the antecedent-behavior-consequence (A-B-C) data form. After at least three observation sessions, patterns emerge in the data that allow the behavior analyst to hypothesize the probable function of the behavior. With that information, he/she can design an effective BIP.

1. For this discussion, create a scenario in which you have a new client who is exhibiting a target behavior. Describe the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) approaches, i.e., Indirect Assessment and Direct Descriptive Assessment, you will use and identify the probable function of the target behavior.
2. How will the identification of the function of the target behavior help you to design a function-based behavior intervention plan (BIP)?

Responses: Respond to two classmates’ primary posts by creating a function-based behavior intervention plan (BIP) for their clients.

Reading and Resources

Read Chapter 1 in Conducting School-Based Functional Behavioral Assessments: A Practitioner’s Guide: “Introduction to Functional Behavior Assessment”

Chapter 1 introduces you to Functional Behavior Assessment and the necessity of this assessment in developing effective behavior intervention procedures.

Read Journal Article

Scott, T.M. & Cooper, J.T. (2017). Functional behavior assessment and function-based intervention planning: Considering the simple logic of the process. Beyond Behavior, 26, 101-104.

TEXTBOOKS

Mark W Watson, T, Steuart Watson, and Frank M Gresham: Conducting School-Based Functional Behavioral Assessments: A
Practitioner’s Guide
Edition: 3rd (2019). Publisher: Guilford Press