By the end of a functional assessment, a behaviour analyst will have collected data using a variety of direct and indirect methods.
For example, the process may have included:
- Reviewing records
- Interviewing the client and/or significant others
- Asking staff members to complete questionnaires
- Developing a behavioural definition of the behaviors of concern
- Collecting ABC and frequency data
- Collecting Scatterplot data
With this information, the behaviour analyst should be in a position to identify the history of the behaviour, potential setting events, potential antecedents and the potential function of the behaviour. At this point in the functional assessment, the behaviour analyst is in a position to produce a Summary Statement. The Summary Statement should be clear, concise and describe the relationship between the client?s environment and their behaviour.
A summary statement should:
- Describe the behaviour in objective terms
- Describe the context in which the behaviour is most likely to occur
- Describe known antecedents to the behaviour that challenges
- Describe the probable reinforcers that maintain the behaviour
- Describe known setting events
Example 1
A functional assessment indicated that Terry engaged in screaming when presented with tasks he finds difficult (e.g., identifying letters and numbers). The screaming was maintained by escaping from such tasks. Screaming was more likely to occur when he slept fewer than 5 hours the night before
Example 2
When Mason is receiving low levels of attention and other people are in his home, he will hit the side of his head with the palm of his hand in order to get attention from his siblings.
Example 3
When one of Tyler?s peers has a toy or other preferred item that Tyler wants, he will bite or scratch the peer in order to access the item.
The summary statement that has been written at the end of the functional assessment process is a hypothesis. It is used to guide the development of an initial behaviour support plan for the client.? It may be revised or replaced once intervention begins and new knowledge is gained.