Functional Behavioral Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment: A Complete System for Education and Mental Health Settings

There are three or four other texts on functional analysis. I've examined every one and Cipani's is clearly the best. The assessment part is great, and I particularly like the "protocol" format for interventions. Cipani's text nicely fills a big gap between research and application. Were I teaching a seminar to clinicians, I think the text would be perfect." -- Brian A. Iwata, PhD, University of Florida

Professionals who work in mental health and educational settings are frequently faced with clients (children, adolescents, adults) who engage in serious problem behaviors. Such behaviors often impact the client's welfare and ability to live, work, and be educated in mainstream environments. Children and adolescents who manifest these behaviors are particularly vulnerable to these disruptions, which can have a far-reaching impact on their development and future prospects.

This practical book, written both for clinician/educators and high-level students, creates a function-based behavioral diagnostic classification system, the first of its kind, as well as treatment protocols that fit such a diagnostic system. Heavily "practitioner-oriented," the book will address the full range of behaviors - ranging from aggression, self-injury, stereotypic behavior (repetitive body movements), tantrums, and non-compliance - with real life and hypothetical cases to help clinicians think through the full range of treatment options. Unique in moving beyond functional assessment to assessment diagnosis and treatment, this book will be highly useful for mental health clinicians, students of Advanced Behavior Analysis, and special education practitioners among others.

Professor Cipani has also prepared extensive ancillary material for use in teaching this book and will make it available to anyone who has adopted it for course use. Instructors who have adopted the title may inquire of Professor Cipani at ennioc26@hotmail.com

Ennio Cipani, PhD, is a licensed psychologist in California since 1983. He has been doing in-home and in-school behavioral consultation for children with problem behaviors for four decades. Dr. Cipani has published numerous articles, chapters, books, and software in the areas of child behavior management and parent and teacher behavioral consultation.

Keven M. Schock, MA, is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst and an independent consultant. He has worked with a wide variety of child and adult populations, including people diagnosed with mental illness, people with developmental disabilities, people with brain injuries, and runaway and foster children. He has served as an administrator, applied program developer, and direct service provider.