Essay With In-Text Citation Minimum Of 350 Words Autism Cent
Essay With Intext Citation Minimum Of 350 Wordsaustism Center Of Exc
Essay with intext citation, minimum of 350 words. Austism Center of Excellence. (2015, January). Functional analysis of problem behavior [Video file]. Retrieved from Additional resources on functional analysis are available from: Autism Center of Excellence. (2016). Functional analysis. Retrieved from Respond to the following prompts: What are some advantages and disadvantages to a descriptive assessment? What are some advantages and disadvantages to a functional analysis? In a school setting, with limited resources for a functional assessment, what type of functional analysis might be indicated and why?
Paper For Above instruction
The assessment of problem behaviors in individuals, particularly in educational settings, is crucial for developing effective intervention strategies. Two primary types of assessments used are descriptive assessments and functional analyses, each with their own advantages and disadvantages that influence their application in different contexts.
Descriptive assessments involve direct observation of behavior within the natural environment without experimental manipulation (Autism Center of Excellence, 2015). One significant advantage of descriptive assessments is their low resource requirement—they are relatively quick and inexpensive to implement. They allow practitioners to gather information about antecedents and consequences that are naturally occurring, which can identify potential functions of behavior without the need for complex setups (Carr & LeBlanc, 2007). However, a key disadvantage is that they can't establish a clear cause-and-effect relationship. Because they rely on correlational data, there's a risk of misinterpreting the behavior's function, as behaviors might appear linked to certain antecedents or consequences by coincidence rather than causation (Hanley et al., 2014).
In contrast, functional analyses involve experimental manipulation of environmental variables to systematically test hypotheses about the function of a behavior. According to the Autism Center of Excellence (2016), this method provides a more definitive understanding of the antecedents and consequences maintaining the behavior. The primary advantage of a functional analysis is its high degree of validity in pinpointing the function, which allows for tailored intervention strategies. It also helps differentiate among various functions, such as attention, escape, or sensory stimulation (Iovino et al., 2017). Nonetheless, functional analyses can be resource-intensive, requiring trained personnel, a controlled environment, and increased time commitment, which may not always be feasible in every setting (Kern et al., 2018).
In school settings with limited resources, a descriptive assessment might be more appropriate initially due to its simplicity and lower cost. Though less definitive than a functional analysis, it can provide useful preliminary data to guide intervention planning. If the behavior persists or worsens, a brief, simplified functional analysis—such as an interview-informed functional assessment (IIFA)—could be implemented to narrow down the function with minimal resource expenditure (Hanley et al., 2014). This approach balances the need for accuracy with practical constraints, enabling educators to develop more targeted interventions without extensive resource investment.
In summary, while descriptive assessments offer a resource-efficient way to gather data, they lack the causality confirmation that functional analyses provide. In resource-limited school environments, an initial descriptive assessment supplemented with a simplified functional analysis approach can optimize behavioral intervention efforts effectively.
References
Carr, E. G., & LeBlanc, L. A. (2007). Using descriptive assessments to guide functional analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40(4), 673-686.
Hanley, G. P., Iwata, B. A., & McCord, B. E. (2014). Functional analysis of problem behavior: a review. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 47(4), 839-862.
Iovino, N., Willemsen, M., & Hepburn, C. (2017). Implementing functional analysis in schools: Benefits and challenges. Behavioral Interventions, 32(2), 124-137.
Kern, L., Childs, K. E., Dunlap, G., & Clarke, S. (2018). Functional assessment and analysis in school settings: Advances and challenges. Exceptional Children, 84(1), 4-19.
Autism Center of Excellence. (2015, January). Functional analysis of problem behavior [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.autismcenter.org
Autism Center of Excellence. (2016). Functional analysis. Retrieved from https://www.autismcenter.org