ABA626 Functional Behavior Assessment (f.7-f.8)

A factor to consider in prioritizing target behaviors for an intervention could be

that the behavior will address a persistent problem or skill deficit.

how often the target behavior change affects the person’s life.

the degree of danger to self and others.

Terms for a procedure to determine the function of a behavior by experimentally controlling the independent variables and measuring the target behavior include

functional analysis, experimental analysis, analogue assessment, and in-situ hypothesis testing.

The most important question in selecting a behavior for change is,

to what extent will this change improve the person’s life?

Behaviors of social significance include

behaviors that may restrict access to educational, residential, or community settings.

In the name of the assessment include “description” or “descriptive” then the assessment procedure

will include direct observation of the client behavior.

Three distinct approaches to determine the function of a behavior are

direct assessments, indirect assessments, and functional analyses.

A factor that would increase the priority for target behaviors for intervention is

the reduction in negative or unwanted attention.

how the change affects the overall reinforcement for the person.

the probability that the target will successfully maintain after services end.

how the change affects continued development and independent functioning.

Generally, a scatter plot

can be helpful when the target behavior occurs infrequently,

may involve a teacher recording occurrences of the target behavior.

captures the frequency of behavior but not antecedents or consequences.

The primary ways of obtaining information for a behavioral assessment are

interviews, checklists, tests, and direct observation.

(For a behavioral assessment, a narrative recording should be the same as)

an anecdotal recording

an ABC recording

a descriptive analysis

An anecdotal assessment is a type of

indirect assessment.

If the name of the assessment procedure includes ABC, then

it requires direct observation of the client behavior and recording the antecedent, behavior, and consequence.

Before performing a formal or informal behavioral assessment, the behavior analyst must be sure to have

the authority and permission to do so.

A factor that impacts the social significance of a target behavior is whether the behavior

will increase access to environments with more opportunity for learning.

is a prerequisite for other functional skills.

will be reinforced in the natural environment.

Socially significant behaviors can be judged in terms of habilitation, including how the behavior

will maximize reinforcement reinforcement for self and others.

Which does NOT require behavior analysis services, but MAY be an effective intervention?

modeling appropriate behavior and giving clear instructions

allowing individuals to participate in goal-setting

prompts and redirecting problem behavior

When a decision has been made to terminate the services of a client who still needs them, a behavior analyst should

discuss the situation with the other interested parties, particularly the party who referred the client for services.

Which does NOT require behavior analysis services, but MAY be an effective intervention?

reducing the noise level.

Problem behavior can be reduced without behavior analysis services by

providing an enriched environment.

When a decision has been made to terminate the services of a client who still needs them, a behavior analyst should

continue to provide services as appropriate until another service provider takes over.

discuss the situation with the other interested parties, particularly the party who referred the client for services.

take reasonable steps to facilitate the transfer of responsibility for the case to a new service provider.

Which does NOT require behavior analysis services, but MAY be an effective intervention?

scheduling different activities

A behavior analyst should consider terminating services with a client in which of the following instances?

A client has not engaged in the target problem behavior since a behavior plan was written and implemented, and the behavior plan has not needed an update or revision for the last eight months.

A behavior analyst should consider terminating services with a client in which of the following instances?

A child is receiving behavioral services under court order. The parent is hostile to the behavior analyst and does the opposite of everything the behavior analyst recommends, which has been making the child’s behavior worse.

A client has not engaged in the target problem behavior since a behavior plan was written and implemented, and the behavior plan has not needed an update or revision for the last eight months.

Since school started three months ago, a child has not benefited from a behavioral education program because circumstances in the child’s home life cause him to miss school two to three days per week.

A high general level of positive reinforcement

has been shown to reduce a wide array of problem behaviors.

Problem behaviors

can sometimes be remedied without formal behavior analysis services.

Which does NOT require behavior analysis services but MAY be an effective intervention?

asking someone to change their behavior

Behavior analysts may need to determine a course of action in the event that they are unavailable to their clients for a period of tine. A behavior analyst should consider terminating services with a client in which of the following instances?

The behavior analyst is having surgery and will be in recovery for two months.

An effective intervention to improve student behavior in schools, which does not require behavior analysis servicse, is to

have teachers greet each child by name and provide a positive statement.

A behavior analyst has failed to overcome a personality conflict with a client and has reached the decision to terminate services with this client. The client is still in need of behavioral services. The behavior analyst should

discuss the decision with the other interested parties and assist with transferring his case to a new provider.

Which does NOT require behavior analysis services, but MAY be an effective intervention?

set and teach positive rules for behavior

provide choice and a highly reinforcing environment

activity schedules and appropriate task demands

Behavior analysts often encounter clients whose personal circumstances make it difficult for them to receive behavioral services in a completely straightforward “by the book” manner. Compromises can often be found, but a behavior analyst should consider terminating services with a client in which of the following instances?

The client’s parent consistently refuses to implement agreed-upon interventions, even after revisions have been incorporated at the parent’s request, and uses the behavior analyst’s home visits as opportunities for free babysitting.

Which does NOT require behavior analysis services, but MAY be an effective intervention?

modeling appropriate behavior and activity schedules

Parental expectations of children are likely influenced by

cultural contingencies.

Behavioral cusps and pivotal behaviors lead to the development of new skills

by exposing the individual to novel environments and different contingencies of reinforcement.

A four-year old child often hits the father when angry. The father doesn’t mind. It is a light slap, usually on his arm, and the child does it with a sulky facial expression that the father describes as cute. The behavior analyst should

suggest teaching an alternative response to replace hitting.

A child who carries stuffed animals around is turning twelve and kids at school have started to tease the child about it. Attempts to get the child to put the stuffed animals away have lead to the child obsessively guarding them and avoiding situations with other children. The behavior analyst should

allow the child to keep the stuffed animals, discreetly if necessary, and reinforce more age-typical social skills.

When selecting target behaviors and goals for behavior change, a behavior analyst should focus on skills that

are age appropriate.

When selecting target behaviors and goals for behavior change, a behavior analyst should ask,

will changing this behavior yield greater reinforcement for the individual?

Prior to providing behavioral services to a client, a behavior analyst should gain understanding of the client’s

preferences

circumstances

characteristics

values

An 11-year old child exhibits very few verbal skills and the behavior analyst and treatment professionals want to implement a rigorous language training program. The parents will be running the program, and they want the child to clean up the toys and to eat meals without making messes. If the behavior analyst’s and team’s tactful and compelling rationale for teaching language fails, they should

target the skills the parents want targeted and revisit language training after gaining credibility with the parent.

A special ed teacher is preparing for a new student who does not speak. The child's records describe the child is a 12 -ear old who has occasional episodes of escape-maintained aggression and frequently runs out of the classroom during academic activities. Which behavior should the teacher intervene upon first?

raise a hand to get the teacher’s attention to escape tasks

When selecting target behaviors and goals for behavior change, a behavior analyst should ask,

will this change improve the individual’s life experience?

who will benefit from this change?

why should this behavior be changed?

Selecting target behaviors based on their benefit to an Individual’s caregivers

is likely to overlook the needs of the individual.

When selecting target behaviors and goals for behavior change, a behavior analyst should focus on skills that

are foundational.

When selecting target behaviors and goals for behavior change, a behavior analyst should ask,

will this change improve the Individual’s life experience?

A behavior analyst is developing a home and community support program for a young adult. The young man's mother wants him to stop playing with children's toys. She wants him to play sports and participate in hobbies are typical of his age. The behavior analyst should

conduct a preference assessment using a selection of age-appropriate leisure activities that he might like.

The best option to ensure that behavior change will be maintained after treatment is to

select target behaviors that are likely to be reinforced in the individual’s natural environment.

Generalized imitation is important to teach early learners, as it is

behavioral cusp that allows learners to contact new and different contingencies of reinforcement.

When providing clinical services to clients and stakeholders of a different culture, you should

assess your cultural identity.

make use of readily available resources when possible.

adjust the manner and language of communication.

consider the cultural identity of the client.

A teacher wants the students to finish their homework before school is out, and so insists that they remain quiet and in their seats for the hour given them at the end of the day for this purpose. The students often whisper and talk to each other and the teacher spends the hour directing them to be quiet and get to work. What recommendation might a behavior analyst make to improve this situation?

Relax the requirement that students remain in their seats and reinforce homework completion instead.

You are developing an intervention plan for a 4-year old child who does not speak. The parents complain that the child's gestures and noises are easy to understand but that the child's teachers don't care enough about the child to try to figure out what they mean. The parents claim that this is causing the child to have meltdowns in school. They also claim that the child's meltdowns at home happen because the child is willful. The child's teachers complain that the child is unmotivated and manipulative. Which of the following target behaviors should be given priority?

functional communication skills

The most appropriate target behavior for a person who engages in too much negative verbal behavior about himself (for example, “I’m so stupid. I’ll never get this right.”) would be

making positive statements about himself.

Which of the following should be considered when deciding which target behaviors should be given priority in intervention?

whether the behavior change will increase the rate or overall amount of reinforcement an individual is able to reliably access

To ensure that a factory worker achieves the work required of him on a daily basis, his supervisor should reinforce

work completion.

Which of the following should be considered when deciding which target behaviors should be given priority in intervention?

the likelihood of success in achieving the desired behavior change

how often the individual will be able to engage in the new behavior

whether the behavior change will reduce unwanted attention from others

A factor to consider in prioritizing target behaviors for an intervention could be

the degree of danger in self and others.

that the behavior will address a persistent problem or skill deficit.

how often the target behavior change affects the person’s life.

Which of the following should be considered when deciding which target behaviors should be given priority in intervention?

whether the behavior change contributes to the individual’s ability to make choices based on her preferences

When the goal of a behavioral intervention is not a behavior, contingencies of reinforcement should be applied to

the behaviors involved in achieving the goal.

The most appropriate target behavior for a training program designed to teach parents to deliver reinforcement effectively would be

to accurately demonstrate that skill in a role play.

An elementary school student has been removed from the general education environment and placed in special education because he is often disruptive in class and is falling behind academically. What is the best target behavior to facilitate success on academic programs?

correct responses on academic tasks

A factor to consider in prioritizing target behaviors for intervention could be

how often the target behavior change affects the person’s life.