Course Title: Functional Assessment 108
Instructor: James O'Heare, CABC, CDBC, PABC
Course Description:
This course will present, step by step, a systematic and empirically supported method of evaluating problem behaviors in companion animals. There are three stages to managing a behavior change project: functional assessment; behavior change programming; and post-intervention maintenance. This course will explore the first stage. Specifically, it explores the three methods of evaluation that constitute a functional assessment: interviewing the client, quantifying and tracking the behavior of concern and carrying out a functional analysis. It will guide the student in developing a contingency statement for problem behaviors, accurately identifying the antecedents, behaviors and consequences that constitute the problem. The student will learn how to track the level and trend of the frequency, magnitude and/or duration of behaviors quantitatively in order to determine the state of the problem and the effects of the behavior change program. Unlike the 'diagnosis-treatment' approach of (often haphazardly) attempting to classify a behavior, label it and "diagnose" it, the functional assessment is systematic (rather than a hodgepodge of intuitions and guesses), fairly simple to carry out and results in a statement of the individual animal's problem behaviors and the contingencies maintaining them that leads logically to the procedures that should be used to change the behavior. Forms are provided for the student to use and adapt to their practice.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completing this course, the student will be able to:
- Describe, contrast and compare the behavioral approach to assessment versus the medical model approach
- Analyze problem behavior situations as a functional relationship between behavior and the environment and describe and explain the behavior in a 3-term contingency
- Define functional assessment
- Identify and describe the three approaches to functional assessment: Informant interview; Direct observation; Functional analysis
- How to identify behavior of concern
- Track level, trend and variance of behaviors of concern quantitatively in graphical form
- Explain how to carry out a functional analysis
- Guidelines for performing functional analysis
- Explain how to choose a measure of the behavior concern (e.g., rate, relative frequency, duration, magnitude etc.)
- Producing a contingency statement for the behavior of concern that will be the basis for the rest of the behavior change project
Texts:
- General Behaviorology by Lawrence E. Fraley, Chapter 1. Natural Science of Behavior at http://www.behaviorology.org/pdf/gGenBgCh1NatlSciBeh.pdf
- Hanley, G. P., Iwata, B. A., & McCord, B. E. (2003). Functional analysis of problem behavior: a review [Electronic Version]. J Appl Behav Anal, 36, 147-185. Retrieved October 25, 2005 from http://seab.envmed.rochester.edu/jaba/articles/2003/jaba-36-02-0147.pdf. (Recommended but not required)
- Course Notes
- Recommended but NOT required: O'Neill, R. E., Horner, R. H., Albin, R. W., Sprague, J. R., Storey, K., & Newton, J. S. (1997). Functional assessment and program development for problem behavior A practical handbook. New York: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.
Course Evaluation:
This course will be evaluated by short essay assignments that will reflect and demonstrate mastery of the course topics and achievement of the learning objectives. The final grade will be the mean average of the assignment grades.
Prerequisites:
- Principles of Behavior 104
CEUs: Continuing Education Credits Available. See Course Approvals page for credits.