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Abstract: This study assessed teachers' abilities to conduct functional assessments and functional interventions in the classroom setting with students who had developmental disabilities and behavior problems. The results showed that information on antecedents and consequences was consistent when derived from a structured behavioral questionnaire completed by the teacher or when the questionnaire was administered in an interview format by a behavior analyst. Although raters agreed on the hypothesized function of problem behaviors of three students with disabilities based on information from the questionnaire and interview, behavioral functions hypothesized by separate raters for the questionnaire and interview varied for one student, indicating problems with interrrater reliability. Results also revealed that teachers without specialized training in applied behavior analysis are able to carry out direct observations of behavior problems, antecedents, and consequences, and produce information on antecedents and consequences comparable to that of graduate students with 2 years of training in applied behavior analysis. Lastly, implementation of functional and nonfunctional interventions (likely to be implemented in typical classrooms) provided support for the hypothesized functions from both indirect and direct methods of assessment.
Self-injurious, aggressive, noncompliant, and disruptive behaviors are problem behaviors often exhibited by individuals with developmental disabilities. When these behaviors occur in the school setting, they may interfere with academic instruction and skills training, prevent integration into less restrictive settings, and interfere with participation in normal, everyday routines (Dunlap & Kern, 1993). They are often frustrating and confusing to teachers and other personnel responsible for trying to alter these behavior patterns.
Functional analysis is one functional assessment procedure that has been conducted in applied settings and found useful in identifying behavioral function and in designing effective functional interventions (Lalli, Browder, Mace, & Brown, 1993; Sasso et al.,1992; Sprague & Horner, 1992). However, the use of functional analysis has a number of limitations, including the complexity of analysis, the lack of control within most settings, the behavioral expertise necesssary to conduct the procedures, and the time involved. In addition, some persons have suggested that consumers may fail to continue using functional analyses following training (Axelrod, 1992).
Indirect and direct methods of functional assessment have also been demonstrated as useful means of acquiring information regarding behavior problems and the environmental variables that precede and follow them (e.g.,...