Functional Behavior Assessment for People with Autism: Making Sense of Seemingly Senseless Behavior

It's not unusual for people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) to exhibit challenging behaviors including noncompliance, aggression, and repetitive actions that interfere with daily life. These behaviors, which appear meaningless, unproductive, or even dangerous, can be changed or stopped.

This guide describes functional behavior assessment (FBA), a highly regarded strategy that parents and professionals can use to identify the factors contributing to the problem behavior. As the book explains, children and adults with ASDs are susceptible to unwanted behaviors due to difficulties with communication skills, social skills, and narrow interests. For example, a nonverbal adult engages in head-banging to obtain beads reserved for times when he needs calming; a child with social skills deficits inappropriately seeks attention by hitting classmates; or an adolescent hyperfocused on one tv program irritates everyone by constantly talking about it. An FBA helps to determine what purpose the behavior serves for the individual and the specific circumstances that led to learning the behavior in the first place. Later on, the assessment is used to develop an intervention plan to help the individual unlearn the behavior.

Anyone can learn the basics of FBA. The book's step-by-step explanations, forms, and case studies make it easy for parents and professionals to:

• Decide which challenging behavior to address
• Select members of an FBA team
• Measure behavior
• Gather information from other observers
• Establish a baseline
• Observe a problem behavior
• Test the hypothesis about the function of the behavior
• Begin to plan for an intervention
• Troubleshoot

With Functional Behavior Assessment for People with Autism caregivers are well on the way to breaking down the barriers created by challenging behavior. NOTE: Use the sequel, Stop That Seemingly Senseless Behavior! to learn how to develop an effective behavioral intervention plan.

Also by Beth Glasberg:
Siblings of Children with Autism: A Guide for Families

Beth A. Glasberg, Ph.D., is a Senior Education Specialist for the Cody Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and a consultant for Douglass Outreach, a division of the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and two-time recipient of the Lebec Prize for Research in Autism. Additionally, she is the co-author of Siblings of Children with Autism: A Guide for Families (Woodbine House, 2003).