Instruction in Functional Assessment, 2014a
Instruction in Functional Assessment, 2014a
Instruction in Functional Assessment, 2014a
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Preface<br />
A background <strong>in</strong> functional assessment is critical for all pre-professionals who are enter<strong>in</strong>g<br />
educational and mental health service fields and prepar<strong>in</strong>g to work with children and adults<br />
with developmental disabilities. <strong>Functional</strong> assessment (FA) <strong>in</strong>cludes a variety of assessment<br />
approaches (e.g., <strong>in</strong>direct, observational, and experimental) for identify<strong>in</strong>g the cause<br />
of the <strong>in</strong>dividual’s challeng<strong>in</strong>g behavior <strong>in</strong> order to design effective treatment. FA is mandated<br />
by federal laws for use <strong>in</strong> schools (IDEIA, 2004) and is an approach based on several<br />
decades of research demonstrat<strong>in</strong>g its effectiveness (Beavers, Iwata, & Lerman, 2013). As<br />
new professionals enter applied sett<strong>in</strong>gs with <strong>in</strong>itial tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, they must demonstrate the<br />
knowledge and skills to work with all persons, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g those whose behaviors are different<br />
and challeng<strong>in</strong>g. Children and adults whose behaviors are challeng<strong>in</strong>g deserve the<br />
opportunity to develop to their full potential (Fallon & Brown, 2010). FA procedures give<br />
professionals the tools to analyze and remediate those challeng<strong>in</strong>g behaviors that stand <strong>in</strong><br />
the way of healthy development and high quality of life.<br />
As <strong>in</strong>clusion cont<strong>in</strong>ues to evolve <strong>in</strong> public school classrooms, work sites, and residential<br />
communities, psychologists, social workers, educators, counselors, and mental health<br />
professionals need to know FA procedures well and apply them with a variety of client<br />
characteristics and <strong>in</strong> multiple sett<strong>in</strong>gs. The authors of this book believe that all <strong>in</strong>terdiscipl<strong>in</strong>ary<br />
professionals and the families of persons with challeng<strong>in</strong>g behaviors need expertise<br />
<strong>in</strong> the professional skills of assess<strong>in</strong>g and manag<strong>in</strong>g challeng<strong>in</strong>g and unique behaviors.<br />
What is the purpose of this book? The purpose of this book is to teach <strong>in</strong>terdiscipl<strong>in</strong>ary<br />
professionals about the process of functional assessment (FA). As <strong>in</strong>clusion cont<strong>in</strong>ues to<br />
evolve <strong>in</strong> public school classrooms across the United States, those professionals’ beliefs<br />
and practices are challenged by the changes <strong>in</strong> the students who make up their classroom<br />
communities (Shapon-Shev<strong>in</strong>, 2007). As many more people with challeng<strong>in</strong>g behaviors<br />
and unique characteristics enter new <strong>in</strong>clusive or heterogeneous sett<strong>in</strong>gs, professionals may<br />
be ill-prepared to manage their behaviors. As new, pre-service level professionals enter<br />
their discipl<strong>in</strong>es of education and psychology with <strong>in</strong>itial tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, they must demonstrate<br />
the dispositions, knowledge, and skills to work with all persons, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g those whose<br />
behaviors are challeng<strong>in</strong>g. Children whose behaviors are challeng<strong>in</strong>g deserve the opportunity<br />
to develop to their full potential (Fallon & Brown, 2010). The emphasis of this book<br />
is on empirically-based strategies for teach<strong>in</strong>g functional assessment to pre-professionals<br />
who will work <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>clusive sett<strong>in</strong>gs. The <strong>in</strong>tended audience for this book is students who<br />
will be future teachers, therapists, and practitioners <strong>in</strong> the discipl<strong>in</strong>es of psychology, mental<br />
health, counsel<strong>in</strong>g, social work, and education. The book may be used as the ma<strong>in</strong> textbook<br />
for teach<strong>in</strong>g FA techniques, a supplementary text, or as a reference source for new professionals<br />
work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the field. Although methods to effectively teach various aspects of a<br />
FA approach have been studied (e.g., Iwata et al., 2000; Wallace, Doney, M<strong>in</strong>tz-Resudek,<br />
& Tarbox, 2004), none have put it all together <strong>in</strong> a comprehensive package that guides