Emerging trends within the field of ABA include
positive behavioral support, functional assessment,
and functional communication training.
Positive behavioral support refers to the broad
process of assisting individuals to acquire adaptive,
socially-meaningful behaviors, and to overcome patterns
of destructive, maladaptive and stigmatizing behaviors
(Koegel, Koegel& Dunlap, 1996). ABA-based methods
of instruction are emphasized within positive behavioral
support interventions to increase pro-social behavior,
while concurrently decreasing maladaptive behaviors.
A primary goal of positive behavioral supports
is to teach functional skills as a replacement for
problem behavior. Positive behavioral support plans
typically involve changing existing environments
in a manner that makes problem behaviors irrelevant,
ineffective and inefficient (Horner, O'Neill &
Flannery, 1993).This usually involves changing a
variety of aspects of the environment. Positive
behavioral support plans often include changing
many environmental variables in concert (eg physical
setting, task demands, curriculum, instructional
pace, instruction of new skills, and individualized
reinforcement) (Horner, Vaughn, Day & Aard,
1996). O'Neill, et al (1997) reported that the heart
of a behavior support plan lies in the extent to
which the plan:
a. is based upon the results of functional assessments
b. is consistent with fundamental principles of
behavior
c. provides a good conceptual "fit"
with the values, resources and skills of all the
people in the setting, and
d. includes ongoing evaluation to determine the
effectiveness of the intervention.
Another emerging trend in applied behavior analysis
is functional assessment. Functional assessment
is the process for gathering information that can
be used to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency
of behavioral support interventions (O'Neill, et
al, 1997). Five primary outcomes of the functional
analysis process are:
-
a clear description of problem
behaviors
-
identification of the events,
times and situations that predict problem behavior
-
identification of the consequences
that maintain behavior
-
development of summary statements
or hypotheses specifying the motivating function
of behavior, and
-
collection of direct observation
data that support the summary hypothesis
(O'Neill, et al, 1997).
Functional assessment is a rigorous, empirically-based
method of evaluation (Steege, in press). Several studies
have demonstrated that interventions based on the
results of comprehensive functional assessments have
a much higher probability of being effective than
those interventions based upon traditional forms of
assessment (eg norm-referenced, intellectual/achievement/behavioral,
projective personality, anecdotal observations and
unstructured interviews) (Repp, Felce & Banton,
1988; Durand, Crimmins, Caulfield & Taylor, 1989;
O'Neill, et al, 1997). Moreover, while traditional
forms of assessment may be useful for purposes of
diagnosis or for making placement decisions, the results
of these types of assessments have not been demonstrated
to be particularly useful in designing interventions.
In contrast, the results of functional assessments
are used as the basis for developing individualized
interventions (Steege, in press).
Functional assessment is applicable not only to individuals
with developmental disabilities. There is a growing
body of research demonstrating the utility of functional
assessment procedures with students evidencing a wide
range of handicapping conditions (Steege & Northup,
1998). Furthermore, functional assessment frequently
involves a combination of assessment procedures. For
example, Cooper & Harding (1993), Dunlap, et al
(1991), Mace and Lalli (1991), Sasso, et al, (1992),
Berg, Wacker & Steege (1995), and Steege &
Northup (1998) describe methods of combining indirect,
descriptive and functional analysis procedures.
In addition, functional assessment is not limited
to the analysis of problem behavior. For example,
Daly, Witt, Martens and Dool (1997) described a functional
analysis model for evaluating academic performance
problems.
Yet another emerging trend in applied behavior analysis
is the use of functional communication training. Functional
communication training seeks to teach an individual
to use appropriate communication to obtain something
he or she wants, instead of engaging in problem behavior
(Hagopian, L., et al, 1998).
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