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

Parents and professionals caring for people with autism sometimes encounter baffling, challenging behaviour; non-compliance, aggression, or repetitive actions; which they don’t know how to stop. The key to resolving problem behaviour is to first determine its purpose by conducting a functional behaviour assessment (FBA).

In this second edition updated with new research, case studies, and anecdotes, the authors explain how clinicians conduct FBAs: measuring behaviour; observing behaviour and collecting data; testing the hypothesis about the behaviour's function. And now, there's new material about how to do FBAs outside of clinical settings; at school, in the community, and at home; making this strategy more accessible to parents and teachers in daily life.

Step-by-step explanations, forms, and case studies help parents and professionals to: measure behaviour, gather information from other observers, establish a baseline, observe the behaviour, test the hypothesis about its function and plan an intervention.

Use the follow-on book, Stop That Seemingly Senseless Behavior! to create effective intervention plans incorporating insights learned from the FBA.