Weeks 3-4: Challenging
Behavior Assessment
Sheri Kingsdorf, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Self-Evaluate your Intake Report
● Look at the following checklist to self-evaluate your
intake report so far.
https://forms.gle/v6xJWgDeZmWJbedR8
In this week’s class, targeting challenging
behavior(s), you will:
✘ Practice using:
○ Direct functional assessment tools:
■ Structured ABC
■ Trial-based functional analysis
✘ Use collected (direct assessment) data from your case or practice activities
to:
○ Write a clear operational definition
○ Describe the history of the behavior
○ Graph baseline data
○ Identify common antecedents
○ Identify common consequences
○ Hypothesize function
Needed Materials
✘ Completed pieces (and indirect assessment data) from the
first part of the intake report template.
✘ Intake report template (second part).
✘ Intake process part 2 instructions.
✘ Structured ABC form.
✘ Trial-based functional analysis form.
✘ Additional pieces will be added to doc sharing in Zoom
during the call.
Questions on Part 1?
Direct Functional Assessment Forms: Structured ABC
Practice
❇ Take the provided
narrative data.
❇ Take the structured ABC
form.
❇ Take the instructions.
❇ Diagram the
contingencies.
❇ Complete the structured
ABC form.
Instructions Model
❇ Using the
provided narrative
data I will model
diagramming an
ABC contingency.
❇ Then I will model
diagramming
using the
structured ABC
form.
8:30 Teacher asked student to get his reading book out of his desk and turn to page 129 in the
reading book. Student sat in his desk and ignored the request. Teacher reminded student his Free
Friday was the next day and he would have to open his reading book and begin reading or he
would lose points.
Consider…Data Collection
✘ Use your structured ABC form to also represent:
○ Frequency
○ Rate
○ If you collect narrative data to use with the structured ABC form,
consider looking to see if you observed any occurrences of
appropriate behavior from the client… for use later.
You will need:
● Intake report template (first part)
● Intake process part 2 instructions
● Hanley opened ended functional assessment interview form
● FAST form
● Structured ABC form with narrative data
● Trial based functional analysis form with script
● Program book checklist
● Additional forms for use on your own case later
Direct Functional Assessment Forms: Trial-based FA
Practice
❇ Pair up.
❇ Take the role play script,
instructions, and
trial-based FA form.
❇ Go through half of the
script then switch roles
with your partner.
❇ I will be around to
support and provide
feedback.
Instructions Model
❇ I will model role
playing the first
trial and recording
the data on the
trial-based FA
form.
Using the Collected Data
● Make sure that all areas of your first portion of the
intake report are now completed, add in any missing
information.
● Move onto the next section of the report.
Labels & Definitions
Structure (topography) vs Function
● Saying the word fire while looking at the letters f-i-r-e is
different than saying FIRE! When smelling smoke in a crowded
theater.
● Same form, but different functions.
● Reading the word f-i-r-e may result in praise or a cue to move
onto the next word in the sentence.
● Saying the word fire in the presents of smoke in a movie
theater may result in everyone running out of the theater.
Instructions
Label and definition I will model labeling and
writing a definition of a
target behavior.
Model
● Gather the data that you
collected from the case
since the last workshop
(on part 1 of your intake
report), OR quickly find a
YouTube video of a
challenging behavior.
● Take the instructions.
● Take the report template.
● I will be around to provide
support.
Practice
+
sharing
Model
✓ Label: Non-compliance in the academic
setting
✓ Definition: Doing something other than
a given direction; not engaging in the
behavior specified in the direction
within 10 seconds of being given the
direction; engaging with materials in a
way other than what aligns with the
expectation (e.g., swiping materials to
the floor when they should be on the
desk, putting head down on the desk
when head should be up and attending to
task/person, or not responding to the
comment/statement of another person).
◻ Write a label for the target
behavior. The label should be:
◻ Clear, concise, observable,
and topographical.
◻ Write an operational definition
for the challenging behavior.
The definition should:
◻ Use non-mentalistic terms.
◻ Be objective, clear,
concise, and
topography-based.
◻ Have inclusions and
exclusions as needed.
PRACTICE!
Behavior One
SHARE
✘ Taking turns…
○ Share your definition - so do not say the name/label, only the
definition (be sure that the name is not in the definition).
○ We will try to guess the behavior.
○ If we guess correctly- awesome!
○ If not, just make changes as needed.
Instructions
History, Data, & Graphing I will model completing
these steps.
Model
● If you have data from your
case- feel free to use it
now. Otherwise, use data
from practice activities,
hypothetical data, or data
from a video online.
● Take the instructions.
● Take the report template.
● I will be around to provide
support.
Practice
Model
✓ History: The mother and teacher report
that the behavior of non-compliance has
been going on for a long time. They
report that within the last 6 months it
has become more intense, now including
some property destruction.
✓ Data: During the three intake
observations in the school setting the
behavior of non-compliance with
directions was observed as occurring an
average of 5 times during a one hour
observation (range 4-6).
◻ Write a short description of
the history of the problem
behavior. It should include
information on:
◻ The onset/how long it has
been going on.
◻ Any changes in intensity.
◻ Provide concise quantitative
information on the baseline
data that were collected (e.g.,
mean and range).
Model
Figure 1. The frequency of non-compliance with instructions
presented in the school setting during 1 hour observations.
Behavior One
https://linegraphmaker.co/
PRACTICE!
Antecedents- It’s not too early to start thinking about
function:
Where are these likely to fit?
Assign those opposite to one of
these:
✘ Attention
✘ Escape
✘ Access to materials
✘ Sensory
✘ Parent walked away to go make dinner.
✘ Tablet taken away.
✘ Told “no” when asking for a cookie.
✘ Asked to stop playing and clean-up.
✘ Toy taken by a sibling.
✘ Classroom lights start blinking.
✘ Group of kids are standing on the
other side of the playground talking.
✘ Therapist takes a call on her phone.
Instructions
Antecedents I will model completing
these steps.
Model
● Any data that you have
collected from a case or
any practice activities.
● Take the instructions.
● Take the report template.
● I will be around to provide
support.
Practice
Model
◻ Write the antecedents that were
determined from the FA data
collected to be happening most
often BEFORE the challenging
behavior. The antecedents should:
◻ Not be the behavior of the
client.
◻ Be some stimulus within the
environment (e.g., behavior of
another person or the presence
of an inanimate object).
◻ Be happening within close
temporal sequence before the
challenging behavior.
✓ Antecedents: Common antecedents
to the challenging behavior were
identified as being given an
instruction or prompt to work in a
group setting.
Behavior One
PRACTICE!
Consequence Identification (common issues)
✘ Consequences occur together
○ Termination of a demand and access to something else
■ Telling the client that he can go over to the computer area
when he was supposed to remain sitting at the group work
table.
○ Access to a tangible and attention
■ Talking to the client about Thomas while taking out and
handing over the trains.
✘ Put them together if needed, we will revisit this
later…
Instructions
Consequences I will model completing
these steps.
Model
● Any data that you have
collected from a case or
any practice activities.
● Take the instructions.
● Take the report template.
● I will be around to provide
support.
Practice
+
sharing
Model
◻ Write the consequences that were
determined from the FA data
collected to be happening most
often AFTER the challenging
behavior. The consequences
should:
◻ Not be the behavior of the
client.
◻ Be some stimulus within the
environment (e.g., behavior of
another person or the
appearance of an inanimate
object).
◻ Be happening within close
temporal sequence following
the challenging behavior.
✓ Consequences: Common consequences
which seem to follow the
challenging behavior were
identified as having the work
requirement/task demand verbally
terminated or being left alone to
engage in another behavior
(without the continued
presentation of attention,
corrections, or new directions).
Behavior One
PRACTICE!
Instructions
Function I will model completing
these steps.
Model
● Any data that you have
collected from a case or
any practice activities.
● Take the instructions.
● Take the report template.
● I will be around to provide
support.
Practice
+
sharing
Model
◻ Write a statement on the
hypothesized function of the
challenging behavior. Be sure
that the statement:
◻ States what the determination
is based on (e.g., FAST).
◻ Identifies only one function
(EATS).
◻ Matches the antecedents and
consequences described
previously.
✓ Function: Based on the data
collected using the functional
assessment parent interview, FAST,
structured ABC form, and
trial-based functional analysis,
it is hypothesized that the
function of the problem behavior
is escape or avoidance of task
demands, and therefore maintained
by social negative reinforcement.
Behavior One
PRACTICE!
Sharing
✘ The name of your behavior.
✘ The most common antecedent.
✘ The most common consequence.
✘ We’ll guess the function in the chat box.
Before Next Time
● Use the examples/tools with your current case to do:
○ Structured ABC form.
○ Trial-based functional assessment.
○ Create section 2 of the intake report.
● If you do not have a current case, please complete all of
the pieces with another person who can pretend to be a
parent of a child with challenging behaviors.
*** Remember, telehealth is an option.
Before Next Time
● Use the newly collected data to write part 2 of the intake
report, part 1 should already be done- but make edits as
needed.
● View all of the week 3 and week 4 materials.
● Watch this recording, if needed.
● Complete the assessment.
○ Do your best to complete sections 1 and 2- what we have worked on
already. You can copy and paste your section 1 pieces, if you are
happy with them.
○ Do not worry about sections we have not gotten to yet.
● Be prepared with part 1 & 2 of the intake report and any
collected data for the next live class.