Persistent and severe problem behavior of children with autism or developmental disabilities often leads to a highly restrictive lifestyle for families, which can negatively affect overall family functioning and parental mental health.

Understanding why the problem behavior is occurring, through a process called functional assessment, is an important first step towards an effective treatment for problem behavior. This process has been refined over 50 years of research to be efficient, safe, and sufficiently precise.

Causes of problems are complex; all the reasons as to why problem behavior is occurring are not identified in a functional assessment. Nevertheless, the situations that occasion the problem behavior and the consequences that maintain the problem behavior are identified during the functional assessment process. These motivating situations are then used to teach skills that produce these same consequences.

At treatment onset, problem behavior is initially replaced with a more efficient form of communication. This simple response is then shaped to be more developmentally appropriate and capable of being understood and acted upon by others. Skills are then taught relevant to tolerating delays and denials of the materials, activities, or actions of others that are often the target of the communications. Finally, important leisure, academic, or vocational skills are strengthened during treatment in the same situations that used to occasion problem behavior and relying on the same consequences that used to maintain problem  behavior.

Resources for Families:

• Parent-Friendly Presentation: An overview of the assessment and treatment process.
• Powerpoint File: Detailed information in presentation format.
• Brief Presentations: Examples of the process applied in clinics and homes by BCBA practitioners.

Finding Support:

• Behavior Analysis Certification Board® website: Find Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) in your area by entering your zip code.
• Autism Speaks® Resource Guide: Locate agencies or programs specializing in Applied Behavior Analysis in your state.

Encouraging Professionals: If your BCBA is not familiar with this practical functional assessment and treatment process, encourage them to learn more by following these steps:

• Visit our publications page for in-depth resources and research findings.
• Explore our success stories page to see how this approach has benefited other families and organizations.
• Schedule a meeting with FTF Behavioral Consulting to discuss training your team of professionals in the design and implementation of the practical functional assessment and skill-based treatment process effectively.