Hi and welcome to Ask Missy Mondays where I respond to email questions from readers who have questions about behavior. Today’s question actually comes from a list serve rather than an actual email to me directly.
A number of parents have been discussing the issue of scream rooms or seclusion timeout rooms. If you are interested in reading about this more, please check out our previous posts on the topic here, here, here, and here.
As part of the discussion about these rooms, a number of people mentioned the importance of having a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) done combined with developing an appropriate behavior plan. Other people then posted about the importance of a functional analysis. That is when a parent asked,
“Could you please explain the difference between an FBA (functional behavior assessment) and a Functional Analysis?” “Also, please explain who can do a functional analysis and why it’s important you get a qualified person to do it.”
We have written about FBAs on this blog before. We described an FBA here, we described when to do an FBA here, and we reviewed some legal cases on FBA here.
So, for a recap, remember:
The FBA is a multi-step process that may include some or all of the following:
- record review
- parent and staff interviews
- student interviews if appropriate
- the completion of rating scales such as the Motivation Assessment Scale (MAS) or the Question About Behavior Function (QABF)
- direct observation of the student in the problem activity/setting
- functional analysis.
A good FBA will include a graph summarizing the observations and/or functional analysis.
The FBA should result in a statement or statements that tell you WHY the child is engaging in the behavior.
Additionally, according to federal special education law, an FBA must be completed under these conditions:
- If, during the IEP meeting, the team determines that the child has a behavior that is impeding his/her learning (or that of others)
- If the child’s placement needs to become more restrictive because of the challenging behaviors
- If the child’s behavior has resulted in an emergency change of placement
- As part of the initial and full evaluation if necessary
[…] Comments « What’s the Difference Between an FBA and a Functional Analysis? […]
Great points. I would add that an FBA could theoretically be conducted on desired behavior. This may be counter-intuitive because it obviously would not result in the function of a competing/non-desired behavior. However, it would give the function of a behavior that may compete with the non-desired behavior. It is also a great way to incrementally train staff on the procedural components of an FA.
You are right, Ian. An FBA could also be completed on appropriate behavior. In fact, a good FBA will include examples of stimuli (activities, people, materials) that are present when the behavior does not occur. Thanks for checking out the blog. We hope you will become a regular here!
[…] Educational Evaluations (IEEs) of behavior. It is not uncommon for a school to complete a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) as required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA). But […]
[…] If you have been with us for a while, you know that we are passionate about the use of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for improving quality of life. We advocate frequently for the use of reinforcement based strategies to address challenging behavior. As you know, the use of procedures such as timeout rooms (also known as seclusion rooms or scream rooms as some folks in Connecticut call them) and/or restraint have come under fire recently. If you have not been following us, you can learn more about that here, here, and here. […]
[…] I have a couple of points to address regarding your question. For my readers who are lost with all this terminology, you may read about an FBA here, learn about what to expect from an FBA here, and finally, learn the difference between an FBA and a functional analysis here. […]
This was SOOOO helpful!!! THANK YOU!!
Thank you! Glad you liked it!!