Step 3.1 Develop a system to regularly monitor the effectiveness of the intervention
In the monitoring progress step for FBA, caregivers or service providers focus on developing comprehensive intervention plans that increase toddler’s use of more appropriate behaviors and reduce the occurrence of interfering behaviors. As a result, toddlers will have a larger repertoire of appropriate, adaptive behaviors.
Caregivers or service providers conduct an FBA as a first step in trying to understand why a toddler with ASD may be exhibiting interfering behaviors. As the function of the behavior becomes apparent, caregivers or service providers develop interventions to reduce the occurrence of the interfering behavior in question. Specific evidence-based practices such as functional communication training (FCT), differential reinforcement, response interruption/redirection, extinction, and antecedent based interventions to decrease the occurrence of the interfering behavior and increase the use of more appropriate replacement behaviors should be considered. Additionally, visual supports and prompting are used frequently to deliver these evidence-based practices.
When developing intervention plans, caregivers or service providers should refer to the specific briefs for these practices to access the steps for implementation and implementation checklist. Before an intervention plan is developed, caregivers or service providers identify an appropriate evidence-based practice that can be used to address the function of the interfering behavior.
The caregiver or service provider develops a system to monitor the effectiveness of the intervention that outlines when, where, by whom, and how data are collected.
- When: once a week, daily, on Tuesdays and Thursdays
- Where: during snack, on the playground, when transitioning between activities
- By Whom: caregiver, speech therapist, developmental therapist, parents
- How: checklist, anecdotal notes (e.g., running records, informal observation notes)