What is Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)?

Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) is an evidence-based practice used to understand the purpose or function of a specific interfering behavior exhibited by a toddler. Unlike typical challenging behavior that all children exhibit, interfering behaviors that require an FBA negatively impact the family’s quality of life due to intensity, duration, type, and impact on safety, learning, and the toddler’s development. FBA is a systematic set of strategies that consists of describing the interfering or problem behavior, identifying antecedent or consequent events that control the behavior, developing a hypothesis of the behavior, and testing the hypothesis. Data collection is an important part of the FBA process. Often, practitioners or interventionists use functional communication training (FCT), differential reinforcement, response interruption/redirection, extinction, and antecedent-based intervention (ABI) to address these behaviors in toddlers with ASD.  

Why Use FBA?

Toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to display interfering behaviors than those with other intellectual disabilities (Dunlap, Robins, & Darrow, 1994; McClintock, Hall, & Oliver, 2003). Interfering behavior occurs for a reason and serves a specific function for the child (Horner, 1994).  Most interfering behavior is reinforced by the consequences that follow. The use of a functional behavior assessment (FBA) supports caregivers and service providers in helping the toddler engage in more appropriate behaviors by:

• Providing information about when, where, and why problem behaviors occur,
• Developing a behavior hypothesis,
• Identifying reinforcers, and
• Building effective and efficient behavioral support.

Behavior support strategies derived from FBA can be translated into IFSP outcomes and objectives in addressing functional skills and behaviors.

Where can FBA be used and by whom?

A functional behavior assessment can be used in any setting to help caregivers and service providers to understand persistent interfering behaviors of toddlers with ASD.  Any parent, child care provider, or service provider can be involved in the functional behavior assessment process.  However, appropriate training and experiences is usually necessary.

What is the evidence-base for FBA?

The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder (NPDC) initially reviewed the research literature on evidence-based, focused intervention practices for children with ASD in 2008. A second, more comprehensive review was completed by the NPDC in 2013. In this current review:

• A total of 27 EBPs are identified.
• Of the 27 practices, 10 practices that met criteria had participants in the infant and toddler age group, thus showing effectiveness of these practices with infants and toddlers with ASD.

The practices were identified as evidence-based when at least two high quality group design studies, five single case design, or a combination of one group design and three single case designed studies showed that the practice was effective. The full report is available on the NPDC on ASD website.

FBA meets the evidence-based practice criteria in all age groups (birth to twenty-two) with 10 single case design studies. For the infant and toddler age group, one single-subject design study included toddlers with autism and demonstrated positive outcomes in promoting behavioral support (Dunlap & Fox, 1999). For the NPDC early intervention work, we have included practices for which there are at least some studies from the original review that had participants who were infants and toddlers with ASD. The level of evidence, however, may be less than proscribed in our original criteria, in which case we extrapolated from studies with older children.

FBA has been used effectively with individuals from age 2 to adulthood. Researchers have successfully completed FBAs with children and families from a wide variety of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as children who are from at-risk environments, have behavior disorders, or have developmental delays. Researchers have also studied the effects of FBA in a wide variety of settings including home and community environments.

Refer to the FBA Fact Sheet from the updated EBP report for further information on the literature for FBA.

Knowledge Check

Question:

What is the purpose of a functional behavior assessment (FBA)?

Question:

Who should be included in the multi-disciplinary FBA team?