Instruction in Functional Assessment, 2014a
Instruction in Functional Assessment, 2014a
Instruction in Functional Assessment, 2014a
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<strong>Instruction</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Functional</strong> <strong>Assessment</strong> Chapter 1<br />
<br />
Challeng<strong>in</strong>g Behaviors<br />
In addition to deficits <strong>in</strong> academic performance and adaptive behaviors, <strong>in</strong>dividuals<br />
with developmental disabilities often engage <strong>in</strong> CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS (Lowe et al.,<br />
2007; Poppes, Van der Putten, & Vlaskamp, 2010). Emerson (2001) def<strong>in</strong>es challeng<strong>in</strong>g<br />
behavior as, “culturally abnormal behavior(s) of such <strong>in</strong>tensity, frequency or duration that<br />
the physical safety of the person or others is likely to be placed <strong>in</strong> serious jeopardy, or<br />
behavior which is likely to seriously limit use of, or result <strong>in</strong> the person be<strong>in</strong>g denied access<br />
to, ord<strong>in</strong>ary community facilities” (p. 3).<br />
General categories of challeng<strong>in</strong>g behaviors <strong>in</strong>clude aggression, stereotypy, self<strong>in</strong>jurious,<br />
or disruptive behaviors. These categories require additional description to allow<br />
reliable assessment and treatment procedures to be performed. More specifically, self<strong>in</strong>jurious<br />
behavior (SIB) may consist of the <strong>in</strong>dividual forcibly (loud smack sound) hitt<strong>in</strong>g<br />
one’s own body with open or closed hand, or bang<strong>in</strong>g head aga<strong>in</strong>st self or objects. A more<br />
specific and objective description of the behavior is necessary because one person’s def<strong>in</strong>ition<br />
of a general category of behavior, such as aggression, may differ from another’s, which<br />
is a problem <strong>in</strong> reliability. For <strong>in</strong>stance, <strong>in</strong> one study <strong>in</strong> which 120 teachers were asked to<br />
def<strong>in</strong>e “disrespectful” behavior, over 17 different behaviors were given (e.g., talk<strong>in</strong>g back,<br />
not follow<strong>in</strong>g teacher’s directions, <strong>in</strong>terrupt<strong>in</strong>g adults) (Landers, Servilio, Alter, & Haydon,<br />
2011). A behavior category would be <strong>in</strong>accurately measured if it means one th<strong>in</strong>g to one<br />
person and quite another to someone else.<br />
A BEHAVIORAL DEFINITION must be objective, clear, specific, and complete such that two<br />
observers naïve to that person could read the def<strong>in</strong>ition and <strong>in</strong>dependently and reliably<br />
identify <strong>in</strong>stances of the same behavior (Hawk<strong>in</strong>s & Dobes, 1977). This approach to determ<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
the accuracy of measurement and adequacy of def<strong>in</strong>itions is called INTEROBSERVER<br />
RELIABILITY. Accurate measurement of the behavior is necessary for assessment purposes, to<br />
implement treatment procedures accurately, and to evaluate treatment effectiveness (Mart<strong>in</strong><br />
& Pear, 2011). For example, one behavioral def<strong>in</strong>ition of self-<strong>in</strong>jury <strong>in</strong>volves bit<strong>in</strong>g self by<br />
upper and lower teeth mak<strong>in</strong>g contact with sk<strong>in</strong> result<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> p<strong>in</strong>k marks or <strong>in</strong>dentations<br />
on sk<strong>in</strong> (see Matson, & Turyg<strong>in</strong>, 2012 for additional def<strong>in</strong>itions of self-<strong>in</strong>jury). Likewise,<br />
tantrumm<strong>in</strong>g is <strong>in</strong>adequate as a description of challeng<strong>in</strong>g behavior s<strong>in</strong>ce it refers to a<br />
general category of behavior that would be open to <strong>in</strong>terpretation. More specifically and<br />
objectively, tantrumm<strong>in</strong>g might be def<strong>in</strong>ed as scream<strong>in</strong>g above a normal conversational<br />
level and forcefully bang<strong>in</strong>g one or both fists on the table. Aggression might be def<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
as mak<strong>in</strong>g contact with an open hand, fist, or foot to any body part of another person. See<br />
Table 2 below for a list of questions to determ<strong>in</strong>e if your behavior def<strong>in</strong>ition is adequate.<br />
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