Citation

Conroy MA, Fox J, Crain L, Jenkins A, Belcher K. Educ. Treat. Child. 1996; 19(3): 233-256.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, West Virginia University Press)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Children with developmental disabilities frequently display challenging behaviors that may exclude them from least restrictive environments. Increasingly, functional assessment procedures have been used to identify environmental factors that maintain challenging behaviors (Lennox & Miltenberger, 1989) improving intervention effectiveness and removing barriers to inclusion in the schools and community. The purpose of this study was to compare two different functional assessment procedures for use in identifying events that occasion challenging behaviors. Specifically, this study examined the efficacy of analog assessment sessions in comparison to direct observation in predicting events that occasion challenging behaviors (e.g., self-injury, stereotypy, and/or noncompliance). Subjects were four boys with developmental disabilities and severe challenging behaviors. Data from these subjects are presented and discussed. Two assessment procedures were applied to each subject: (a) different analog probe conditions, and (b) direct classroom observation (i.e., continuous sequential recording) of each child's challenging behavior and its antecedents and consequences. Data from the analog probes were compared using a single subject, alternating treatments design to determine the probe condition most likely to produce challenging behavior and examine the stability of analog assessment. Data from the direct classroom observation were analyzed using conditional probability analyses. Finally to determine teacher behaviors that preceded and followed the challenging behavior, data from the probe and conditional probability analyses were compared to evaluate the validity of each assessment approach.

Language: en