A new parent-friendly page has been added to this website. It is viewable in the menu bar above and provides a brief overview of the practical functional assessment and treatment process and video-based presentations describing the process through case examples. This page also provides links to websites that may allow parents to locate professionals in…
If the interview usually leads to differentiated functional analyses, why not simply conduct the interview and forgo the analysis? There are three reasons to conduct the analysis even when the interview provides fairly straightforward information regarding the specific reinforcement contingencies likely controlling problem behavior. Although the interview may help you discover the specific reinforcement contingencies…
For years, most people conducting functional analyses have been careful to isolate tests of negative and positive reinforcement in functional analyses. Why then is a social negative reinforcement contingency often combined with a social positive reinforcement contingency in an IISCA? There are several reasons why social negative and social positive reinforcement contingencies are synthesized into…
It is apparent from this website that a practical functional assessment includes an open-ended interview with parents or teachers followed by an analysis personalized from the interview. The analysis is referred to as an IISCA. Why this particular name? IISCA stands for interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis and the somewhat cumbersome acronym IISCA is used because…
It is apparent from this website that a practical functional assessment includes an open-ended interview with parents or teachers followed by an analysis personalized from the interview. The analysis is referred to as an IISCA. Why this particular name? For years, most people conducting functional analyses have been careful to isolate tests of negative and…
What is the best way to navigate the website to learn how to do a practical functional assessment? What are tips for increasing the odds of a successful interview (i.e., one that allows for the design of an effective analysis)? Why should I do a brief observation prior to the analysis, and what should I do…
Laura Hanratty, M.A., BCBA, has been applying the practical functional assessment and skill-based treatment process in an outpatient clinic and homes since 2012. In this vignette, Laura describes the process in the context of helping a family with twin boys newly diagnosed with autism.
This post contains presentations that describe applications of practical functional assessments and reflections by the BCBAs who conducted the functional assessments. These BCBAs were all doctoral candidates enrolled in a Behavioral Assessment course at Western New England University (WNEU) when they applied these procedures and developed presentations describing their experiences.
Mahshid Ghaemmaghami, M.A.D.S., BCBA, has been applying the practical functional assessment and skill-based treatment process in an outpatient clinic, schools, and homes since 2012. In this detailed vignette, which includes videos of functional analysis and treatment sessions, she describes the process when applied with a young boy diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and ADHD.
Board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) are often called upon when the problem behavior of a particular child occurs more consistently, frequently, and/or intensely than the problem behavior exhibited by their similarly-aged peers. In other words, BCBAs typically work directly with a single child, conducting functional assessments to understand why the child is engaging in problem behavior. The…
Practical Functional Assessment 