Steps of a Functional Behavioral Assessment (no more than 75 words)
Conducting an FBA allows you to determine the purpose or function of a specific behavior for a particular person. You can then use that information to design intervention strategies to decrease that behavior. For this discussion, complete the following:
- Explain how each step of an FBA is conducted and how each of these steps helps the behavior analyst come to a conclusion on the function of the behavior.
- Identify the step you would choose to conduct in the FBA, if you had to choose just one step. Explain why.
Reply to your friend’s discussion:
1 day ago
Conducting an FBA includes 4 steps: first step involves gathering information which includes using indirect methods such as interviews, checklist, rating scales etc., also direct methods such observing the behavior and collecting data and presenting the data in the form of graphs and charts. The second step is interpreting the information that was gathered to formulate hypotheses about the function of the problem behavior. This step is important because the information that was gathered is analyzed for patterns in behavior and the environmental events that are present when the behaviors occur. The third step is testing the hypotheses with a functional analysis. During a functional analysis the environment is manipulated this is done by incorporating a control (neutral) condition and a test condition in which the behavior is said to occur. The last step in the FBA process is developing interventions based on the function of the problem behavior. Once the prior steps are completed, intervention procedures can be created and implemented. These interventions need to be functionally equivalent to the problem behavior and must be adjusted and/or the above steps can be repeated if interventions are proven ineffective or functions of behavior has changed, but ruling out medical problems maybe suggested and required (Cooper et al.,2020).
I would choose to create and design interventions because seeing your work be the reason a problem behavior has decreased or cease to exist is very rewarding in this field.
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied behavior analysis 3rd edition. Pearson
