Companion Animal Sciences Institute

Course Title: Functional Assessment and Behavior Change Programming - 108

Credits: 3 (Approx. 42 work-hours)

Instructor: James O'Heare, CABC

Course Description

This course will present, step by step, a systematic and empirically supported method of evaluating problem behaviors in companion animals. Specifically, it explores the three methods of evaluation that constitute a functional assessment: interviewing the client, directly observing the behavior in its environment (including obejctive measurement of the behavior), and carrying out a functional analysis. It will guide the student in developing an contingency statement for problem behaviors, accurately identifying the antecedents, behaviors and consequences that constitute the problem. The student will learn how to track behaviors quantitatively in order to determine the state of the problem and the effects of the behavior change program. It also introduces the competing behavior model in which the student learns to identify replacement behaviors for constructing a behavior change program. 

Unlike the medical model 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 (rather than a broad uninformative label) 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. 

Students will also explore the constructional approach to formulating comprehensive behavior change programs and the fundamental principles and strategies for designing these programs.

Topics include:

• What is a functional assessment?
• Three approaches to functional assessment
  
• The informant method
• The direct observation method
• Functional analysis
• Medical and physical issues in assessment
• The functional assessment interview
• Constructing a contingency statement
• How to carry of direct observation of problem behavior
• Using the functional observation form
• Functional analysis procedures
• Functional analysis of antecedents
• Functional analysis of consequences
• Constructing behavior change programs
• Four considerations for constructing a behavior change program
• Selecting behavior change procedures
  
• Constructional versus eliminative approaches
• The competing behavior model
• Preparing a written behavior change program and implementation
• Elements of the behavior change program
• Operational descriptions
• Monitoring and follow up

Course Texts

• Functional Assessment and Program Development for Problem Behavior A Practical Handbook 2nd edition by O'Neill, Horner, Albin, Sprague, Storey, and Newton
• Laraway, S., Snycerski, S., Michael, J., & Poling, A. (2003). Motivating operations and terms to describe them: some further refinements. J Appl Behav Anal, 36(3), 407-414. Click here.

Enrollment Package Includes

• Coursework document with assignments and course notes
• Student Handbook
• Access to Classroom, with transcripts from Guest Visits and handouts
• Free membership with IIACAB and to all issues of its journal JACAB
• Access to your Instructor for one-on-one guidance

Schedule

The course begins as soon as your enrollment is complete and you receive your enrollment package. Although we allow 4 months for this course, you are free to complete the course sooner if you can, and we do allow extensions if need be.

Prerequisites

Principles of Learning 104 
May be taken at the same time.
None for Certified Dog Behavior Consultants

CCPDT Credits: 6.5

Tuition

$300 Cdn. (Currency Converter) + 4% fee for for online payments. Textbooks not included in tuition. They may be purchased through http://www.dogwise.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.abebooks.com or http://www.half.com in most cases. Also check the Student Library. Canadian Residents 5% GST.

Enrollment

Visit the "ENROLL" page and follow the application instructions.