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 3<br />
Table 14<br />
Example of a preference assessment procedure<br />
1. Identify 5-8 items that you th<strong>in</strong>k the <strong>in</strong>dividual might prefer based on <strong>in</strong>terviews<br />
with that person or people <strong>in</strong> that person’s life or from observations of activities that<br />
the <strong>in</strong>dividual engages <strong>in</strong> most frequently.<br />
2. Design a data sheet that lists all possible pairs of the items and alternate the sides that<br />
each item is presented on to counterbalance side preferences the <strong>in</strong>dividual might<br />
display e.g., A B and B A<br />
3. Sitt<strong>in</strong>g at a desk or table, present each pair of items approximately 2 ft apart from<br />
each other and 1 ft <strong>in</strong> front of the person, mak<strong>in</strong>g sure the person’s hands are not near<br />
either item so that a clear test of what the person selects can be made.<br />
4. Wait 5 s for the person to pick one. Do not provide any praise because this may affect<br />
the person’s choice on subsequent trials. Allow 5 s to manipulate the item.<br />
5. Once all pairs have been presented, calculate the percent each item was selected by<br />
count<strong>in</strong>g the number of times each item was selected by the person and divid<strong>in</strong>g by<br />
the total number of times it was presented and multiply<strong>in</strong>g by 100.<br />
6. Rank order the items from most to least preferred and use the most preferred items<br />
for tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g purposes.<br />
Note: If the person has never had the item before, allow the person to ‘sample’ the item before<br />
the preference assessment is conducted.<br />
Note: Preferences will vary from time to time and so conduct<strong>in</strong>g a brief preference assessment<br />
before every tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g session will ensure that your preference-based procedures are maximally<br />
effective.<br />
Re<strong>in</strong>forcers may vary <strong>in</strong> their effectiveness <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g desired behavior depend<strong>in</strong>g on<br />
whether the <strong>in</strong>dividual has had recent access to them (North & Iwata, 2005; McG<strong>in</strong>nis,<br />
Houch<strong>in</strong>s-Juárez, McDaniel, & Kennedy, 2010). Motivat<strong>in</strong>g conditions, such as SATIATION<br />
(hav<strong>in</strong>g too much of someth<strong>in</strong>g) or DEPRIVATION (hav<strong>in</strong>g too little of someth<strong>in</strong>g), can alter<br />
the probability of behavior that leads to that re<strong>in</strong>forcer (Michael, 2000). For example, you<br />
really liked a particular song when it first came out and used to change the station to locate<br />
it, but now that it has been play<strong>in</strong>g on the radio for several weeks, you no longer enjoy<br />
listen<strong>in</strong>g to it. Instead, you turn to another station to avoid hav<strong>in</strong>g to listen to it one more<br />
time. Likewise, if a child, who typically is disruptive <strong>in</strong> a certa<strong>in</strong> class to garner the attention<br />
of his peers is provided with ample social <strong>in</strong>teraction with peers prior to that class, he may<br />
not engage <strong>in</strong> the disruptive behavior to achieve the same ends.<br />
Through use of an FA approach, the re<strong>in</strong>forcer ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the challeng<strong>in</strong>g behavior<br />
can be identified. Once it is known what that re<strong>in</strong>forcer is, it can be <strong>in</strong>corporated <strong>in</strong>to a behavior<br />
<strong>in</strong>tervention program to <strong>in</strong>crease desired behavior. However, as Carter (2010) found<br />
with an adult male be<strong>in</strong>g treated for escape ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed noncompliance, a highly preferred<br />
positive re<strong>in</strong>forcer may also reduce that behavior even without the use of ext<strong>in</strong>ction (no<br />
longer provid<strong>in</strong>g the negative re<strong>in</strong>forcer).<br />
DIFFERENTIAL REINFORCEMENT procedures can be used to elim<strong>in</strong>ate or decrease the <strong>in</strong>dividual’s<br />
challeng<strong>in</strong>g behavior. This type of re<strong>in</strong>forcement schedule, or rule when to provide<br />
re<strong>in</strong>forcement, consists of the application of both positive re<strong>in</strong>forcement and ext<strong>in</strong>ction<br />
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