adaptive behavior/functional behavior- description

[Guest guest]

Autism is a life-long developmental disability that impacts an

individual's communication and social skills. Furthermore,

individuals with autism exhibit repetitive motor movements and odd

rituals such as repetitive hand flapping, or insisting that the

physical aspects of a room remain in precise order. In addition to

these core symptoms, many individuals with autism exhibit severe self-

injurious, aggressive, or non-compliant behavior. In fact, these

challenges create the most difficult aspects of the disorder for many

parents and professionals. In some cases, families and professionals

are left reacting to such behaviors rather than teaching new ways to

respond to difficult situations. Such drastic measures can be avoided

when teams implement a functional behavior assessment and develop a

positive behavior support plan. This process helps teams move from

reaction to pro-action. The process of completing a functional

behavior assessment includes three essential steps (O'Neill, Horner,

Albin, Sprague, Storey, & Newton, 1997). They are: 1. Team Interview

and Record Review 2. Systematic Observation of the Behavior in

Natural and (Sometimes) in Contrived Situations 3. Behavior

Hypothesis Development

In this case, the term `function' does not describe a person's

abilities, as in understanding their `functioning level.' Instead,

the term function refers to a description of how the behavior works

in a given environment to achieve a specific purpose. Thus, the term

`function' in FBA is a description of how and how well a behavior

works to assist a person in achieving their needs.

At the heart of a functional behavior assessment is a problem

solving approach that includes multiple methods of team learning.

When a team completes an FBA, they study the behavior in many

different ways from understanding what the team currently knows about

the behavior (team interviews), to studying the behavior in the

natural environment (systematic observation) to sometimes studying

the behavior in contrived or experimental environments. The team

learns how to work together and learn from each other in a

coordinated dance that is mutually supportive and informative. In

addition, they are truly assessing the subtle environmental factors

that trigger the challenging behavior. According to Tilly et al. (p.

3, 1998), " The process involved in [Functional Behavior Assessment],

is not a procedural one. Indeed, FBA is not a set of procedures and

protocols, but instead is an integrated problem-solving approach to

creating educational supports and interventions with a high

likelihood of success. The FBA process is flexible in that different

procedures might be used under different circumstances. "

The process of completing an FBA results in a clearer understanding

of the behavior and that, in turn, leads to a coordinated, multi-

component behavior intervention plan. Additionally, those closest to

the problem complete the process. This represents a departure from

former ways of addressing problem behavior where reactive strategies

were developed by consultants or psychologists who did not " live

with " the problem. In this case, the student's team completes the

entire process. The five steps from functional behavior assessment to

behavior intervention plan development, evaluation and revision are:

Problem identification and definition – The team moves from general

descriptions of emotional states, to specific, behaviorally defined

definitions of challenging behaviors. For example a team may move

from referring to a behavior as `angry and disruptive,' to a fine-

grained description, such as, " When Lonny is told `no,' he will hit

and grab others and fall to the floor. "

Problem analysis – The team completes interviews and observations so

that they can understand the connection between the person, the

environment where the behavior occurs, and the needs that the

behavior meets for the person. For example, " When Lonny asks for a

desired object or activity and is told `no' he will hit, bite, and

scratch in order to get the object or activity he desires. "

Intervention development – Once the team identifies the connection

between the person, behavior, and environment, they develop a multi-

component intervention plan. Such a plan uses individually tailored

strategies to 1.) prevent the problem from occurring, 2.) teach the

person a new way to get their needs met, and 3.) respond to the

problem behavior in a new way so that it becomes inefficient and

unnecessary in meeting the person's original need.

Monitoring progress and evaluating outcomes – This process is based

on the large literature in applied behavior analysis. As such, it is

critical to evaluate the success of the plan by tracking whether or

not the problem behavior decreased, the new replacement behavior

increased, and, finally, the person's quality of life is better.

Intervention revision as indicated by monitoring and evaluation –

Inevitably, the behavior plan will require revision as the person and

environmental contexts change. If, for example, a team finds, that

the person has not decreased the frequency of challenging behavior,

then the team would be required to revise the behavior intervention

plan until they see a reduction in the problem behavior (Lohrman-

O'Rourke, et al., 1999; Tilly, et al. 1998; McConnell, Hilvitz, &

, 1998; Vaughn, Dunlap, Fox, e, & Bucy, 1997; Fox, Vaughn,

Dunlap, & Bucy, 1997).

When an interdisciplinary team completes the process it has the

opportunity to learn more effective ways of teaching students with

autism and coordinating varied and diverse services. Team members who

are open to the process find that they have to change their own

behavior in order to support the change of the student they are

supporting (Chapman, Kincaid, , Schall, & Harrower, 2002).

There are four critical and required areas of intervention in multi-

component positive behavior support plans. They are:

Preventing Strategies: Such strategies are designed to change the

environment so that the person does not have to use the behavior to

get their needs met. Teams consider if they can change the

environment so that they can eliminate, block, neutralize, or

otherwise change the triggers or `antecedents' that lead to problem

behavior.

Teaching New Behaviors Strategies: These strategies are designed to

replace the problem behavior with a new, more efficient and

effective, adaptive behavior. Instead of hitting, a team might

develop a method to teach a person to ask for a break. The behaviors

that a team must teach fall into three categories. They are: 1.)

Direct replacement behaviors that will replace the problem behavior.

2.) General behaviors that will increase the person's success in the

environment. 3.) Coping and tolerance behaviors that will increase

the persons ability to cope with frustrating or challenging times.

Responding to New Behaviors Strategies: These strategies provide a

road map for the team to reinforce and respond to the new behaviors.

For example, consider a case where the function of the person's

behavior is to escape a task. A replacement behavior for hitting in

that case is `asking for a break.' In order for this to be an

effective replacement behavior, all team members, including family

and school providers, must agree to give the person a break when they

request it. This part of a behavior intervention plan directs the

team specifically how to respond to new behaviors, so that they

reinforce adaptive behaviors.

Responding to Challenging Behaviors including Crisis Management

Plan: If Lonny's team is trying to replace his hitting with the

behavior of asking for a break, they must also have a way to respond

to his hitting that a.) does not result in a break, and b.) reminds

him that there is a better way to ask for a break. Thus this section

of a behavior intervention plan teaches the team how to respond to a

person when the problem behavior does occur. In addition to

responding to the challenging behavior, sometimes it is necessary to

implement a crisis management plan that will keep the person and

those around them safe. In the case of positive behavior support

plans, the role of the crisis management plan is to keep the person

and other around them safe, not to attempt to change behavior with

punitive or reactive management.

The dramatic changes that occur in the life of a person with ASD as

a result of the implementation of a positive behavior support plan

are impressive and demonstrate the best of team collaboration. In

this session we will end by presenting 3 cases where positive

behavior supports resulted in increases in adaptive behavior and

significant decreases in challenging behavior.

See more of The ASA's 38th National Conference on Autism Spectrum

Disorders (July 11-14, 2007) autism-society.org