Abstract
In the present study, caregivers were trained as therapists to conduct functional analyses (FAs) after staff-conducted FAs were inconclusive with 52 participants. Caregiver-conducted FAs identified at least 1 function for problem behavior when staff-conducted FAs were undifferentiated. When results of the staff-conducted FAs were questionable, subsequent caregiver-conducted FAs resulted in an exact match with staff-conducted FA in about 68% of cases but identified new functions in about 30% of cases. Function-based treatments based on caregiver-conducted FAs were effective in reducing problem behavior by an average of 96% relative to baseline. Results suggest that when staff-conducted FA outcomes yield inconclusive findings, using caregivers to conduct FAs is likely to produce differentiated results and ultimately result in the development of effective treatments.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 738-749 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Journal of applied behavior analysis |
Volume | 46 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2013 |
Keywords
- caregivers
- function-based treatments
- functional analysis
- severe behavior disorders
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Philosophy
- Applied Psychology
- Sociology and Political Science