The practical functional assessment process is often initiated when the problem behavior is extremely dangerous to either the person engaging in the problem behavior (e.g., a self-injurious behavior like high intensity head banging) or to those who provide care to the person engaging in the problem behavior (e.g., severe aggression routinely leading to care provider injury). Practical functional assessments can, however, be used to better understand common problem behaviors of typically developing young children and to help parents identify a context in which the skills of communication, toleration, and compliance can be taught. Erin Michaud, M.S., CCC-SLP, BCBA describes this sort of application in the following presentation.

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