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Modifications to Basic Four
Functional Analysis Experimental Conditions for Public School
Assessments. Iwata's (1982) functional analysis conditions (alone, attention, play, demand) and his altered conditions (divided attention, reinforcer removal, ambient stimulation and social interaction) have proved critical in assessing causal variables for self-injurious behavior (SIB) among institutionalized profoundly retarded individuals. These procedures have not proved to be consistently useful or appropriate in assessing public school students' problem behavior. Modifications of these procedures include attention antecedent conditions (incorporating reinforcement schedules, peer attention, competition for teacher attention) and demand antecedent conditions involving academic assignments and access to leisure materials. Consequence form manipulations include functional analysis of attention variables: peer reprimand statements versus peer laughter or imitation, separate testing of teacher use of physical restraint, academic assistance, warning statements. Escape conditions may involve task reduction, time-out delivered during an academic activity, physical removal from the classroom, to in-school or in-home suspension. All of these are potential reinforcers for target behaviors, yet may be difficult to test. Public school settings place certain limitation on intervention tactics and pose a unique challenge to applied researchers. Solutions to these challenges and sample interventions will be discussed and data will be presented. Keywords: functional analysis, antecedent/consequent modifications |
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