FBA Changes: Lancaster
Records Review: CBHNP is looking into whether this important piece of the
indirect assessment can be billable, especially as part of FBA billing. Right now, it is
not.
Demographic Information: Don’t forget to use the new template that includes age,
strengths, Tx history, family living situation, school placement, diagnoses, cultural
needs/preferences, and medications/medical history.
Operational Definitions of the problem behavior (probably no more than 3 or 4
behaviors-can be taken from your Tx Plan or PCCN). CBHNP is firm about what they
consider target behavior. I quote them:
 All target behaviors identified with the FBA summary should be specific problem
behaviors that negatively impact the member’s functioning (e.g. physical
aggression, self-injury, repetitive motor movements, property destruction,
elopement) and should not represent skill deficits associated with ASD (e.g. not
using social skills, inattention, lack or organization skills, difficulty interpreting
social cues, not engaging socially with peers, lack of communication ability /
difficulty engaging in reciprocal conversations).
Indirect Assessment: FAST, MAS, interviews, records review. Please summarize
results/information in narrative form, especially results of the FAST and/or MAS.
From CBHNP:
 The FBA should include feedback to the clinician by all treatment team members
(which can include parent; school, mental health staff, other supports; depending
on situation) or interview with some informants with an objective FBA screening
tool administered to others.
 The FBA summary should include direct feedback from member(client) and
modifications for assessment tools/interview to the developmental level of the
member or should provide information indicating that the member is not able to
provide information due to age, language delay and/or cognitive delay.
Direct Observation of Behaviors: Graphs and narrative analysis—can be copied
and pasted from your PCCN. If you have difficulty copying and pasting graphs from
the newer version of Excel (it gets distorted), click “Copy” and “Paste Special,” then
paste it as “picture” (just click on that). From CBHNP:



The clinician should observe the member in all settings where member spends
extensive periods of time, including settings where behaviors/symptoms are not as
prevalent.
In order to provide the most comprehensive assessment, there should be a
significant number of instances of EACH target behavior.
In order to provide a comprehensive assessment, direct assessments should be
conducted across a period of time no less than 2 weeks and should include
observations at multiple times of day.
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Skill Deficits: On this page, please write a brief statement explaining why that
particular skill deficit seems to be impacting target behavior. You can put this in
right after the description of the skill (page 7) in the template. Example:
Communication Skills: The client has difficulties with requesting what they need, including
items, activities, attention, information, changes in the environment, or help. He/she has
difficulties in conversational skills and answering questions, understanding non-verbal or verbal
language, or following directions.
John is primarily non-vocal and relies on inconsistent and/or ineffective
use of PECS to make his needs known.
Preference Inventory: It would be better in this section if you keep the main
categories, and then just list and/or describe (candy is not enough—gummy bears is
better) in order of preference within each category. Just delete the inapplicable
items—it’s hard to read with just numbering them and most don’t apply to a lot of
our clients.
Describe Antecedent Setting/Contextual events and Consequent events with
Conditional Probabilities
From CBHNP:
 The FBA summary should include a description of both “fast” and “slow” triggers
for the target behaviors and identify what that suggests about the function of the
behavior.
 The FBA summary should describe BOTH the most frequent caregiver
reactions/responses to the target behavior and identify what this suggests about
the function of the behavior (Page 3 of our FBA Template).
Setting or Contextual Events—“slow triggers”: A setting event can be
anything that increases the likelihood of the problem behavior occurring. A
setting event can be something that occurred in the near distant past (a fight
last night, sitting on the bus too close to someone that was screaming, not
getting enough sleep). A setting or contextual event can also include changes
in the current environment (the lights are too bright, there are a lot of people
in the room, it is noisy). Another setting event can be the person you are
working with. What might have occurred prior to the behavior, even within a
week or so, that may have contributed to the behavior.
Antecedent Events: This is the immediate “fast” trigger—ex: the demand,
but can be anything that happens that directly triggers the behavior.
Consequence: This is what happens directly after the behavior, and may be
maintaining the behavior. For example, task is presented, child cries, task is
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removed. The removal of the task is making the child's escape-motivated
behavior very successful.
Conditional Probability:
The likelihood that a target behavior will occur in a given circumstance; computed
by calculating (a) the proportion of occurrences of behavior that were preceded by a
specific antecedent variable and (b) the proportion of occurrences of problem
behavior that were followed by a specific consequence. Basically…it’s ____out of ____
observed opportunities, put into percentage.
NEW: We must include graphs for Antecedent and Consequent Behaviors in
addition to our regular graphs. One for antecedent and one for consequent
conditions. Please use column (bar) graphs for this since it summarizes separate
elements.
Provide these graphs with narrative descriptions, describing and comparing the
conditional probabilities of a behavior occurring given the specific antecedent or
consequent event.
Ex: See Graphs Below: I have included just a brief narrative to provide an
example. These graphs were taken from a CBHNP training and it’s difficult to
interpret another person’s data (they didn’t provide analysis), but this is the general
idea:
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Bobby - Antecedent Conditions
16
t
a 14
r
12
g
e 10
t
8
F
r
e
q
u
e
b
n
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c
h
y
a
v
o
i
f
o
r
6
SIB
4
Physical Aggression
Tantrum
2
0
Antecedent Conditions
Antecedent Conditions: Data indicate that SIB is highest in the alone and task
demand conditions, with slightly lower frequency in the rule enforcement, redirection and low attention conditions. Physical aggression occurs primarily in
response to a task demand, with considerably lower frequency for denial of request,
rule reinforcement and low attention. Tantrums escalate in the denial of request
condition, with low frequency in the rule reinforcement and re-direction conditions.
Behavior
SIB
Antecedent Event and/or
Setting Event if known
Task Demand
Rule Enforcement
Re-direction
Alone
Low attention
Denial of Request
4
% occurrence
of behavior
given this
antecedent
24 %
17 %
21 %
24 %
14 %
0%
Physical Aggression
Tantrum
Task Demand
Rule Enforcement
Re-direction
Alone
Low attention
Denial of Request
67 %
13%
0%
0%
7%
13 %
Task Demand
Rule Enforcement
Re-direction
Alone
Low attention
Denial of Request
0%
11%
6%
0%
0%
83%
5
Bobby - Consequent Conditions
16
T
14
a
r 12
g
10
e
t 8
F
r
e
q
u
e
B
n
e
c
h
y
a
v
o
i
f
o
r
6
SIB
4
Physical Aggression
2
Tantrum
0
Consequent Conditions
Consequent Conditions: Data indicate that Tantrums are maintained when given
access to what was demanded indicating that the perceived function is to obtain
access. Physical aggression is maintained when given a time-out, and is also
maintained when the demand is repeated or enforcement is removed, but attention
appears to be the hypothesized function. SIB appears to be maintained across
conditions with the exception of when the demand is removed or the client is put
into time-out, indicating that attention is not the perceived function of SIB.
See Conditional Probability Chart on next page
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Behavior
SIB
Physical Aggression
Tantrum
Removal of Demand
Repeated Demand
Removal of Enforcement
Repeated Enforcement
Lecturing
Given Access
Time-Out
% occurrence of
behavior given this
consequence
21 %
14 %
24 %
14 %
27 %
0%
0%
Removal of Demand
Repeated Demand
Removal of Enforcement
Repeated Enforcement
Lecturing
Given Access
Time-Out
Removal of Demand
Repeated Demand
Removal of Enforcement
Repeated Enforcement
Lecturing
Given Access
Time-Out
0%
20 %
13 %
0%
0%
0%
67 %
0%
0%
5.5 %
11 %
5.5%
78 %
0%
Consequence
Graphs: Line Graph for Data Analysis across time/sessions: Label your x and y
axes, give the graph a title, include trend lines and a narrative describing trend
analysis. Put in dates. Put in the legend to describe target and replacement
behaviors. If there are gaps in your data entries, try to leave those data points
unconnected.
Hypothesis Statement: You must have at least one hypothesis statement for each
target behavior. Different topographies (hitting, kicking) can be combined in one
statement if the antecedent (ex: demand placed) and the function (ex: escape/avoid
task) are the same.
From CBHNP:
The hypothesis statement(s) should be supported by the data presented. The FBA
summary should includes a hypothesis statement for EACH target behavior that
includes all necessary components; including antecedents, details involving the
antecedents, consequences / function of behavior.
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Recommendations: Copy and paste your Methods for each problem behavior that
you are covering in the FBA. Be sure to separate the specified behavior, and have
your interventions correspond with the strengths/preferences of the client for more
effective potential implementation. Separate who does what: Parent will…TSS
will…BSC will…MT will…John will….Psychologist will…..
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Chester County Intermediate Unit
Home and Community Services
Functional Behavior Assessment
Functional Behavior Assessment
(Delete all instructions in italics/parentheses/red type prior to submitting this
document, including this statement!).
Client's Name:
Date of Birth:
Age:
Current BHR Services: BSC___hrs/wk. or mo.
TSS____hrs/wk.
Submitted by:
MT___hrs/wk
Date Submitted:
Clinician Contact Information:
Client Strengths (include family and school information):
Treatment History:
Diagnosis:
Axis I:
Axis II:
Axis III:
Axis IV;
Axis V: GAF current
GAF past
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Medications and Pertinent Medical Conditions:
Dates of FBA:
Settings for FBA:
Types/Sources of Information: (List: TSS data sheets, FAST, MAS,
observations, and/or Interviews, evaluation reports)
Description of Behaviors of Concern:
(these must be specific descriptions of problem behaviors that negatively impact
daily functioning, but are not related to skill deficits. Skill deficits include social
skills, inattention, disorganization and lack of reciprocity during interactions.)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Indirect Observations of Behaviors
(FAST, MAS, interviews, behavior rating scale with parents, caregivers, teacher
and client.
Please indicate each method used when summarizing. For example: Results of
the FAST completed with _____'s mother indicate that .....................
If client is unable to provide feedback, please indicate that this is due to age, or
to developmental, behavioral and/or cognitive delays)
2
(Provide narrative summaries of indirect observations and feedback here.)
Based on Indirect and Direct Observation:
Behavior
Typical
Frequency
1-5x/day week
6-10x day/week
>10x/day/ week
1-5x/day week
6-10x day/week
>10x/day/ week
Typical Duration
Typical Severity
1-5x/day week
6-10x day/week
>10x/day/ week
1-5x/day week
6-10x day/week
>10x/day/ week
1-5x/day week
6-10x day/week
>10x/day/ week
Direct Observations of Behaviors:
(Provide graphs and narrative analyses for each target behavior. Multiple target
behaviors can be included in a single graph when appropriate. Graphs must
include a title, Y-axis with the dimensions of the behavior, X-axis with dates of
observations, and a legend (key) designating each behavior).
3
Summary of Behavioral History
Behavior
How long has
this been a
problem?
Intervention
and/or
Pro-Active
(Antecedent)
Efforts
4
Impact
(decreases,
maintains,
exacerbates
behavior of
concern)
Analysis of Data Collection:
Instructions: When the answer is YES, add details on the lines provided,
indicating which behaviors are relevant. If the answer is no, delete the “Yes”
and lines
Physiological and Medical Factors:
1. Could the behavior be the result of a medical or psychiatric condition or
any form of physical discomfort?
 NO
 YES _______________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
2. Could the behavior be related to a side effect of medication?
 NO
 YES _______________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
3. Could the behavior be the result of some physical deprivation condition
(thirst, hunger, lack of rest, etc.)?
 NO
 YES _______________________________________________________
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Antecedent Events:
1. Are there circumstances in which the behavior ALWAYS occurs?
 NO
 YES _______________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
2. Are there circumstances in which the behavior NEVER occurs?
 NO
 YES _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3. Does the behavior occur only (or more often) during particular activities?
 NO
 YES _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
4. Does the behavior occur only with (or more likely with) certain people?
 NO
 YES _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
5. Does the behavior occur in response to certain stimuli? (demands,
termination of preferred activities, tone of voice, noise level, ignoring,
change in routine, transitions, number of people in the room, etc.)
 NO
 YES _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
6. Does the behavior occur only (or more likely) during a certain time of day?
(morning, afternoon, end of school day, evening)
 NO
 YES _______________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________
A Conditional Probability is the likelihood that a target behavior will occur
in a given circumstance.
Behavior
Behavior
Antecedent Event and/or
Setting Event if known-specify
Consequence
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% occurrence
of behavior
given this
antecedent
% occurrence of
behavior given
this consequence
Skill Deficits Related to Behaviors of Concern:
(Could the behavior be related to any skill deficits? check all that apply: include
a brief statement describing how it impacts specific problem behavior)
Academic Skills: Task requirements present as being too challenging
for the client’s current skill level.
___ Participation Skills: The client has difficulty with participating in nondirected, semi directed, teacher-directed, or peer-directed activities. The
student has difficulty in
small or large group instruction.
___Social Skills: The client has difficulty acquiring and/or maintaining peer
friendships. The client often withdraws from social interaction. The client is
often verbally and/or physically aggressive in social interactions.
___Communication Skills: The client has difficulties with requesting what
they need, including items, activities, attention, information, changes in
the environment, or help. He/she has difficulties in conversational skills
and answering questions, understanding non-verbal or verbal language,
or following directions.
___Organizational Skills: The client has difficulty with organizing school
supplies, study area, time, or projects, organizing class notes, or dividing
assignments into task.
___Self-Regulation Skills: The client has difficulties with staying on-task,
completing work assignments, handling stressful situations, calming self
when agitated, following rules, or difficulty transitioning between
activities/places or people. Difficulty with problem solving.
___ Study Skills: The client has difficulty with studying for tests, taking
tests, taking notes from lectures, or using studying techniques.
___Motor Skills: The client has difficulty with gross motor skills (e.g. running,
raising arms, putting feet together, squatting, bending at waist, etc.) or fine
motor skills (e.g. pointing, counting with fingers, holding a pencil/pen,
holding a fork/spoon, pressing a computer key, using a mouse, etc.).
S/he has difficulty with imitating others’ actions.
___ Functional Skills: The client has difficulty with performing activities of
daily living (e.g. eating, dressing, toileting, grooming).
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___Play Skills: The client has difficulty with actively exploring activities/toys
in their environment (inside or outside) to play with during leisure time,
playing with the items as designated, or engaging in interactive play with
peers during activities.
Consequence Factors:
1. Does the behavior allow the student to gain something?
A. Preferred activities or items?
Indicators: The behavior often occurs when the student sometimes or always
regains an item or activity that has been taken away or terminated. The
behavior often occurs when the student sometimes or always gains access
to an activity or item that he was told he couldn’t have. The behavior rarely
occurs when the student is given free access to his or her favorite items or
activities.
 NO
 YES _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
B. Peer or adult attention?
Indicators: The student frequently approaches others. The student frequently
initiates social interaction. When the behavior occurs, someone usually
responds by interacting with the student in some way (i.e. verbal reprimand,
redirection, comforting statements). The behavior rarely occurs when the
student is receiving attention.
 NO
 YES _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
2. Does the behavior allow the student to postpone, avoid, or escape
something such as task demands, social interaction, etc.?
Indicators: The behavior often occurs when the student sometimes or always
postpones or escapes the task demands placed upon him. The behavior
rarely occurs when few demands are placed on the student or when the
student is left alone. The student is often noncompliant when asked to
complete tasks and the student sometimes or always postpones or escapes
the tasks. The behavior often occurs prior to predictable demands and the
student sometimes or always avoids or postpones the tasks.
 NO
 YES _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3. Does the behavior provide stimulation as an alternative to the student's
lack of active engagement in activities?
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Indicators: The behavior occurs frequently when the student is alone or
unoccupied. The student seems to have few known reinforcers or rarely engages
in social interaction activities. When the student engages in the behavior, others
usually respond by not attending to the behavior.
 NO
 YES _______________________________________________________
Preferences/Reinforcer Inventory
use a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being the most enjoyable) These are suggestions below.
You can retain the categories and list the preferences of your client in order of
preference—please be specific.)
Activities and sports
Puzzles ___ Games ___ Books ___
Sensory toys ___ Musical instruments ___ Computer games ___
Action figures ___ Painting ___ Bowling ___
Play dough ___ Other: ___ Trampoline ___
Biking ___ Swing set ___ Slide ___
Amusement parks ___ Swimming ___ Other _________ ___
Roller-skating ___ Skateboarding ___ Other _________ ___
Television and video
Disney movies ___ Animated movies ___ Other _________ ___
Animal videos ___ Cartoons ___ Other _________ ___
Treats
Candy ___ Fruit ___ Pretzels ___
Crackers ___ Chips ___ Other _________ ___
Ice cream ___ Cookies ___ Other _________ ___
Beverages
Soda ___ Juice ___ Other _________ ___
Milk ___ Water ___ Other _________ ___
Reading items
Pop-up books ___ Picture books ___ Books with sound ___
Sensory books ___ Puzzle books ___ Coloring books ___
Sticker books ___ Magazines ___ Other _________ ___
Animals
Cat ___ Dog ___ Rodent ___
Fish ___ Bird ___ Other _________ ___
Computer
CD-Rom games ___ Internet surfing ___ Other _________ ___
Music
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Country ___ Rock ___ Oldies ___
Classical ___ Rap/Hip-hop ___ Other _________ ___
Hypothesis Regarding Function(s) of Behaviors
Obtain: Activity, Item, Attention, Sensory Stimulation
Escape: Activity, Item, Attention, Sensory Stimulation
Antecedent
Behavior
What does
s/he get?
What does s/he
avoid/escape/delay?
HYPOTHESES
 When ____________________(antecedent to behavior of concern),______
(student) _______________________________ (behavior of concern) in
order to ____________________________________ (perceived function of
the behavior).
 When ____________________(antecedent to behavior of concern),______
(student) _______________________________ (behavior of concern) in
order to ____________________________________(perceived function of
the behavior).
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 When ____________________(antecedent to behavior of concern),______
(student) _______________________________ (behavior of concern) in
order to ____________________________________(perceived function of
the behavior).
 When ____________________(antecedent to behavior of concern),______
(student) _______________________________ (behavior of concern) in
order to ____________________________________(perceived function of
the behavior).
Recommendations:
CBHNP: Copy and Paste your Methods sections from Treatment Plan for each
problem (target) behavior included in this FBA.
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