Contains several articles by experts in the fields of special education and psychology. Each article explores the issues, theories, and practices of assessing problem behavior and determining how to use this information. Together, the articles of this text present current advances in the use of functional assessment technology: taking the techniques and strategies of traditional functional analysis and using this information to construct clinical interventions. Three sections focus on the following topics: how functional assessment can be used to intervene effectively and change problem behavior, common procedures for using functional assessment in the preschool and school classroom, and new directions and trends in the field of functional assessment. A thorough and well-researched base of knowledge on problem behavior is provided, and the student learns the many ways in which this behavior may be diagnosed, intervened, and ideally changed.

Children and adolescents with moderate and severe disabilities often have communication challenges that lead them to use problem behavior to convey their desires. This is the most comprehensive contemporary volume on functional communication training (FCT)--the individualized instructional approach that teaches a child socially acceptable communicative alternatives to aggression, tantrums, self-injury, and other unconventional behaviors. The expert authors provide accessible, empirically based guidelines for implementing FCT, and tips for overcoming obstacles. Grounded in the principles of applied behavior analysis, the book includes detailed strategies for developing a support plan, together with illustrative case examples. ÿ

Written by the leading authorities in the field, this book presents a complete system for conducting FBA's, developing effective interventions, and implementing and monitoring those interventions. Utilizing step-by-step strategies with supporting examples, this book will first discuss the principles around behavior management, then show how behavior management relates to functional behavioral assessment, and then offer methods for developing effective funcational based interventions. General Inservice and Special Education teachers, school administrators, school psychologists and/or counselors, behavior specialists and other educational service agencies.

"As a teaching and instructional guide, Functional Behavior Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment is a first-rate resource for students and young professionals new to the field of ABA or looking to expand their knowledge and practice competencies."--New England Psychologist "[This book provides] the practicing behavior analyst [with] a well-grounded tool in completing the process from analysis to treatment. I highly recommend the book for all practicing behavior analysts as well as for graduate students entering the field." Michael F. Dorsey, Ph.D., BCBA Professor of Program in Applied Behavior Analysis, Endicott College "...one of the most detailed, practical, and useful textbooks geared for behavioral graduate students who are also concurrent practitioners....I learned a lot in one semester with the use of this textbook." Albee Ongsuco Doctoral Student, Pediatric School Psychology, East Carolina University "Ever since I began assigning Functional Behavioral Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment for my courses on behavioral assessment, I have had no complaints (from students) about giving out too many pages to read each week. In fact, I have only had positive comments about how the material in this book really helps them to apply what they are learning in class to their work with clients. Now I recommend this text to faculty I supervise for their courses on functional assessment and treatment planning!" Jose A. Martinez-Diaz, PhD, BCBA-D Professor and Associate Dean, Graduate School of Behavior Analysis Florida Institute of Technology & CEO, ABA Technologies, Inc. Now in its second edition, this popular text provides a comprehensive approach to functional behavioral assessment, a function-based diagnostic classification system of the target problem, and functional behavioral treatment. This new edition also provides a wealth of new case studies, some drawn from the authors' own clinical experiences, in addition to a greater analysis of the role of establishing operations (EO) and abolishing operations (AO). An ideal textbook for courses in Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), this book helps students cultivate an in-depth understanding of assessing, diagnosing, and treating problem behaviors in a functional perspective. Key features: Provides a methodology for functional behavioral assessment, including indirect as well as direct measurement techniques such as analogue and in-situ methods Includes innovative recommendations for conducting descriptive and trigger analyses and discusses how to use them in assessment and treatment evaluation Presents a function-based, diagnostic classification system for diagnosing problem behaviors, as well as functional diagnostic system for assessing the current strength of potential replacement behaviors Includes integrated online ancillary materials for students-brief narrated PowerPoint presentations and video lectures-ideal for generating class discussions Features an online instructor's manual, including test items and PowerPoint slides for use in lectures

Problem behaviors often compound the already difficult task of improving the lives of persons with severe disabilities. This important volume, representing the culmination of more than a decade of clinical research, presents the first complete description of the procedures used in Functional Communication Training--a positive approach for reducing severe behavior problems. The procedures described in this book have been validated by numerous empirical studies for use with children, adolescents, and adults who display behaviors as diverse as aggression, self-injury, tantrums, and bizarre, psychotic speech. Functional Communication Training involves teaching students how to communicate those basic wants and needs that they have previously sought to have fulfilled via their problem behavior. They are taught to replace their challenging behavior with learned communication skills. This book provides the practitioner with step-by-step instructions for implementing this effective approach. A variety of assessment strategies are reviewed and described to assist in determining appropriate interventions. The Motivation Assessment Scale--one device designed to assess the function of problem behavior--is outlined in detail and is accompanied with guidelines for its administration and interpretation. Communication training is then detailed and illustrated using speech, sign language, and augmentative systems as examples. Numerous case examples throughout illuminate both the assessment and intervention strategies. Providing clear direction for ameliorating complex behavior problems, this book will be valued by psychologists, behavior analysts, special educators, and speech and language therapists. It can be used as a text for advanced undergraduate courses on behavior management in psychology and special education, and also serves as supplementary reading for courses on behavior modification or mental retardation/developmental disabilities.

This Second Edition updates and expands on the original editorial content and coverage, including new chapters on definitions and rationale, a general overview, research on mental health disorders, report writing, the role of treatment planning, and treatment associated with mental health disorders. The Second Edition builds on the knowledge base by providing the most current information on all aspects of each topic. This unique volume addresses basic questions in salient detail, from types and rates of challenging behaviors to populations that warrant functional assessment. In addition, it examines typical assessment techniques, including interview, scaling, experimental, and in vivo methods. The use of functional assessment in treatment planning – and in combination with other interventions – is covered in depth. Given the vulnerable populations and challenging behaviors (e.g., individuals with autism, intellectual disabilities, mental health issues), the book provides detailed coverage of informed consent as well as legal and ethical issues. Key areas of coverage include: The history of behavior analysis and functional assessment. The nature, prevalence, and characteristics of challenging behaviors. Interview and observation methods in functional assessment and analysis. Experimental functional analysis for challenging behaviors. Treatment methods commonly used with functional assessment. Using functional assessment in treatment planning. Functional Assessment for Challenging Behaviors, Second Edition, is an essential updated resource for researchers, clinicians and other practitioners, and graduate students in clinical child and school psychology, pediatric psychiatry and medicine, social work, rehabilitation, developmental psychology as well as other interrelated disciplines.