Isabelle Cowan, MASP, L. Psych, BCBA
Marlene Breitenbach, M.S.Ed, BCBA
Tracy Miller, M.Ed
Danielle Rochon, B.A.
Student with significant behavioural challenges
Frustrated team
Messy data
Expectation
Frequent 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

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
 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.
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
Tangible
• 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)
Only for
the elite
Let me
look
into it
This is not
rocket
science!
 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)

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.
 Identify
 Follow
your target behaviour
instructions
 Provide
a consequence when the target
behaviour occurs
 Record
behaviour when it occurs
 Interpret
the data
 When
you
understand the
function of the
behaviour, the
effectiveness of the
intervention can be
significantly
improved.
 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 (NONCONTINGENT REINFORCEMENT)

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
 Frequency
Condition
Count
Frequency of Behaviour
Totals
Attention
//////////////////
18
Demand
///
3
Play
0
Alone
0
(Note: For each condition presented, write a tally during the interval then record the
totals)
Antecedent
Behaviour
Consequence
• Adult present, but no social interaction occurs.
• No access to toys, leisure materials or preferred
items.
• Individual engages in the target behaviour
• When target behaviour occurs, do not do or say
anything.
• Do not make eye contact or make changes in
facial expressions.
If a target behaviour
occurs most frequently in
this condition
then, it is likely that the
behaviour itself produces
its own reinforcer (selfstimulation).
Antecedent
•Leisure and play materials available
•Inform individual that you will be busy
•Provide no further attention
Behaviour
•Individual engages in target behaviour
Consequence
•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."
If a target
behaviour occurs
most frequently in
this condition
then, it is likely
that the behaviour
is maintained by
attention.
Antecedent
Behaviour
Consequence
•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
• Individual engages in target 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.
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).
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.
Antecedent
Behaviour
Consequence
•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
• Individual engages in target behaviour
• When target behaviour occurs, the
demand is immediately removed
/terminated without comment and
presented again after 20-30 seconds.
If a target behaviour
occurs most
frequently in this
condition
Then it is likely that
the behaviour is
maintained by escape
from task demands.

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.
 Partial
1
2
Interval:
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 % of
intervals
“+”
Tangible
•
•
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).
Antecedent
• Provide brief access to preferred
item, then remove the item and
ignore the student.
Behaviour
• Individual engages in target behaviour
Consequence
• When target behaviour occurs, provide
brief access to the item then remove it
again and ignore.
If a target
behaviour occurs
most frequently in
this condition
then, it is likely
that the behaviour
is maintained by
access to an item.
Schlichenmeyer, 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.
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)

Frequency of target behaviour
across FA conditions
20
19
18
Occurences of Behaviur
16
14
12
Alone (3)
Attention (2)
10
Play (1)
8
Demand (2)
6
Tangible (1)
4
3
3
2
1
0
2
0
0
1
2
Sessions
3
Candidates 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
Careful 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

Careful Planning




Conditions : order? duration?
Identify potential risks
Exit strategy: What level of behaviour would
indicate that session should be shortened or
stopped?
Try out with a non aggressive behaviour
 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?





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 (20012010). 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.