Essay Sample on Functional Behavior Assessment

Introduction

Functional behavior assessment (FBA) is an approach that is used to identify the reasons why children act in a particular manner. Various techniques are used to understand inappropriate behaviors seen in specific children. Some of the factors considered are non-academic that may be significantly contributing to a child's frustration during the learning process (Ala'i-Rosales, Cihon, Currier, Ferguson, Leaf, Leaf, & Weinkauf, 2019). The first step to identifying a solution is knowing the reason behind a specific inappropriate behavior since the latter serves a purpose. Whether the parent knows it or not, a child acts in a particular manner to get the desired outcome. For instance, a child may cause chaos in the classroom during a math class and gets disruptive after which he is sent to the principal's office. The child's goal is achieved since he/she avoids doing the classwork. In the example above, the behavior depicted is inappropriate but it served its purpose. The FBA report is a systematic document that has all the child's details like name and age, and the parent's information. The report also contains a step by step analysis, behavior intervention and strategies, and recommendations. In this essay, an FBA report for a client will be formed, evaluation procedures will be discussed, and suggestions are given.

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Reasons for Referral

John Doe is a child who exhibits violent behavior while in the classroom. The student seems to have mild anger issues. For instance, once an assignment is given, John becomes angry, and most of the time he tears his books and throws objects in the air. When the teacher sends him out for his behavior, he seems excited and happy that he gets a chance not to do his class work. The primary reason for referral is to identify the child's anger issues and why he behaves in such a manner. Another behavioral concern is fighting other children. Although John is quiet most of the time, he picks fights with his classmates for no good reason. He disturbs the children while sleeping and upon being confronted by the teacher, he cries. During other times, the child cries a lot, and he does not give any reason for doing so.

Relevant Background Information

After conducting a background check on the child including the family's history, it was discovered that several people in the lineage had mild anger issues. It was found that some prior evaluations had been conducted. John's father explained that he had the same problems while he was young and his parents sought professional assistance. The history of this kind of problem behavior has been witnessed severally with the student's cousins of the same age although John's condition is the worst among them. The father explained that when he was two years old, he developed anger issues. At home, once something annoyed him, he would hit his head on the wall or any object close to him. He would also throw things and ended up breaking costly goods in their house. After doing all that, he would cry uncontrollably. Upon listening to the father's experience, it was easy to relate his behavior to that of his son's. He assured us that upon getting help, John would learn to control his emotions as he did.

Description of Evaluation Procedures

Some of the indirect methods used in the functional behavior assessment include written interviews with John's teacher and verbal discussions (Young & Martinez, 2016). The purpose of the oral sessions and written interviews was to identify the target behavior of the child and the circumstances that support aggressive behavior. The parents were called to the school where a discussion about the child's condition was conducted under the guidance by the class teacher. The child's parents were questioned about John's behavior at home and the measures they took to reduce his anger. The teacher had already prepared a set of questions to ask the parents, and as they answered, she noted them down for future reference. A brief questionnaire was also given to the parents to fill in some information regarding their child and his condition. From the interview and the verbal interaction, the class teacher gathered sufficient information that would be essential in assisting John to overcome his aggressive nature. From the information given by the parents, it was identified that the child was inexpressive and that his aggressive behavior needed to be controlled as soon as possible to prevent him from hurting others and himself too.

Several direct, descriptive functional behavior assessment techniques were used. These strategies included defining the target behavior, data collection, hypothesis development, intervention planning, and assessing the effectiveness of the plan (Ala'i-Rosales et al., 2019). A direct assessment was the most effective method in this case since the target behavior was severe at that moment and the intensity was complex. Moreover, at the end of that period, critical decisions had to be made. The teacher, parents, and a psychology professional collected measurable data. All the observable environmental factors that supported the child's behavior were documented and used to compare with data after implementation of the intervention. Examples of the type of data that was collected included the people involved, the frequency of the behavior, the predictor or the antecedents, how the behavior resolved, and academic and behavioral expectations among others.

Hypothesis Formulation

After the data collection, the information collected was used to make the best guess for the cause/purpose of the behavior (Anderson, Rodriguez, & Campbell, 2015). However, this step was the most difficult since the team had to decide the exact action to be addressed since there were several other traits intertwined with the child's conduct. In this case, the best course was to identify the target behavior and develop a hypothesis explaining the reasons behind the behavior. The data collected indicated that the main issues included anger, fighting, aggression, and isolation. It was concluded that John Doe was dealing with anxiety and frustration, but he was unable to verbalize his feelings like other children do. Instead, he expressed himself through fighting and being aggressive. Planning interventions were drafted. Behavior management strategies given by the psychologist would be applied to John to reduce his anger and enable him to express himself more.

Intervention Recommendations

Antecedent Recommendations

One of the recommendations for intervention that could be used to modify the environment to eliminate factors that trigger aggression in the child is encouraging social behavior while John is still young (Young & Martinez, 2016). Studies show that some of the primary factors that lead to aggressive behaviors in children include antisocial behaviors, poverty, crime, or early neglect which lead to hostility. However, variables such as child abuse and neglect should be eliminated in this case since they do not happen.

Replacement Procedure Recommendations

One of the strategies that could be used to teach and increase desirable behaviors is talking to the child. For instance, instead of sending the child outside the classroom every time he becomes aggressive, the teacher should assign him a different and monitor his progress.

Reaction Procedure Recommendations

To replace the aggressive behavior, John must not be severely punished or subjected to harsh consequences when he becomes angry. Instead, he should be calmly advised that his actions are wrong and that he should try calming down. The parents should also find a way of assuring John that it is okay to share his fears and anxieties instead of keeping them to himself.

Progress Monitoring and Behavioral Consultation

Data collection tools like interviews will the parents will proceed to monitor the progress of the child. Since the parents spend most of the time with him while not in school, follow up will play an essential role in determining if there is any improvement.

Conclusion

In conclusion, FBA is an approach that is used to identify the reasons why children act in a particular manner. The FBA report is a systematic document that has all the child's details like name and age, and the parent's information. The report also contains a step by step analysis, behavior intervention and strategies, and recommendations. In this case, John is a four-year-old boy who has aggressive behavior and gets angry very fast. Both indirect and directive functional behavior assessment techniques to establish the cause for his behavior, Data was collected to assist in identifying the cause or his behavior and to assist in intervention strategies. One of the approaches that would be effective in changing his behavior includes exposing him more to children his age and encouraging him to speak out when any problem arises.

References

Ala'i-Rosales, S., Cihon, J. H., Currier, T. D., Ferguson, J. L., Leaf, J. B., Leaf, R., ... & Weinkauf, S. M. (2019). The Big Four: Functional Assessment Research Informs Preventative Behavior Analysis. Behavior analysis in practice, 12(1), 222-234.

Anderson, C. M., Rodriguez, B. J., & Campbell, A. (2015). Functional behavior assessment in schools: Current status and future directions. Journal of Behavioral Education, 24(3), 338-371.

Young, A., & Martinez, R. (2016). Teachers' explanations for challenging behavior in the classroom: What do teachers know about Functional Behavior Assessment?. National Teacher Education Journal, 9(1).