FBA Summary Resource
- 1. Sample Information a Behavior Analyst May Include in an FBA Summary for a Student in Primary or Secondary School This document was created as an informational resource and does not represent professional or legal advice. The author of this document assumes no liability or responsibility for the type of information that may be included in a behavior-analytic report. Behavior-analytic services consider many variables and are tailored to the student’s unique needs. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution of this document is prohibited. Created by Lauren Weiss, BCaBA © 2015 Functional Behavior Assessment Summary Purpose This section may include the following information: • Reasons for the FBA; why the assessment is necessary (e.g., maladaptive behavior interferes with learning, disruptive to the environment, or poses a danger to the student or another person) • Who completed the assessment • Date(s) the assessment was completed • How this report will help • What philosophical/theoretical framework will be used (e.g., behavioral principles, behavior- analytic, excludes methods/techniques that do not prove to be effective evidence- based practices according to peer- reviewed publications) History This section may include information obtained through a review of the student’s records, focusing on information that may be important to developing treatment goals, such as: • Age • Ethnicity • Sex • Diagnostics • Communication and language considerations • Services or treatments receiving • School and grade information • IEP information (as appropriate) • Further considerations of religion, culture, medical, significant trauma • Describe strengths of the student • Describe when the maladaptive behaviors were first observed/noted • Describe previous interventions and their affect on the maladaptive behavior Maladaptive Behaviors This section may include information regarding an operational definition and baseline levels of the maladaptive behavior. Definition. This sub-section will include the following: • Provide a brief label for each maladaptive behavior • Description includes what can be observed (topography of behavior) • Include onset and offset (this may include time or triggers) Baseline levels. This sub-section will include the following: • Include when it was observed via direct assessment • Include measurement (frequency, duration, and intensity) • Include a numeral for the measured level (e.g., 5, 1.3, 2 out of 3) • Include calculation (e.g., per hour, per school day, average/mean per incident) Student: School/Client: Grade: Classroom Teacher: Date of Birth: Behavior Analyst: Date of Report: Certification #:
- 2. Sample Information That May Be Included in FBA Summary for a Student 2 This document was created as an informational resource and does not represent professional or legal advice. The author of this document assumes no liability or responsibility for the type of information that may be included in a behavior-analytic report. Behavior-analytic services are tailored to the individual’s unique needs. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution of this document is prohibited. Created by Lauren Weiss, BCaBA © 2015 Assessment Methods. This section may include information obtained through a multiple sources via indirect and direct assessment of the student’s maladaptive behavior. • Note that maladaptive behavior is a means of communication or has value • Describe types of direct assessments used (e.g., classroom observations, ABC and/or preference data collection) • Describe types of indirect assessments used (e.g., staff or parent interviews, behavior rating scales, such as MAS, QABF, FAST) • Participants of indirect assessments (e.g., parent, teacher, peer) Function. This sub-section may include the following: • Provide hypothesis statement (e.g., This behavior analyst hypothesizes that the student is engaging in the maladaptive behavior primarily to address the need for attention.) • Provide one of four functions; 1) attention, 2) escape/avoid nonpreferred items/conditions, 3) access preferred items/conditions, 4) automatic/sensory stimulation • Provide primary function and secondary (or maintaining) function • Provide assessment/data collection recommendations for maladaptive behaviors (e.g., collect frequency of occurrences each day and graph daily totals for ongoing measurement, to be reviewed weekly by a behavior analyst) Indications for Treatment Applied Behavior Analysis This section may include recommendations for the behavior intervention plan, including the use of scientifically validated behavioral interventions to address the student’s maladaptive behavior within the behavior-analytic framework. Behavior Change. This sub-section may include: • Emphasizing the social importance of the maladaptive behaviors targeted for intervention • Describing the contingencies maintaining the maladaptive behavior, including the responses of parents, teachers, staff, peers • Promoting generalization and maintenance procedures • Recommending supervision of the implementation of the intervention • Recommending ongoing objective data collection and frequency of review by the behavior analyst Recommended Behavioral Principles and Procedures. This sub-section may include the principles and procedures of ABA, such as those listed below, and should be linked to the function of the maladaptive behavior. • Types of reinforcement (e.g., positive, negative, differential) • Schedules of reinforcement • Shaping • Chaining • Extinction • Behavioral momentum • Prompting and fading
- 3. Sample Information That May Be Included in FBA Summary for a Student 3 This document was created as an informational resource and does not represent professional or legal advice. The author of this document assumes no liability or responsibility for the type of information that may be included in a behavior-analytic report. Behavior-analytic services are tailored to the individual’s unique needs. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution of this document is prohibited. Created by Lauren Weiss, BCaBA © 2015 • Generalization and maintenance • Building on student strengths • Antecedent interventions (e.g., satiation) • Functional communication training • Types of teaching (e.g., discrete trial, incidental, precision teaching) • Self-management • Preference assessment (i.e., reinforcer assessment) • Types of visual supports (e.g., activity schedule, first-then boards) Discharge This section may include information regarding the scheduled behavior-analytic services for the student, how or when a transition plan may be implemented, how or when a discharge plan may be implemented, or how or when a crisis plan may be implemented. Description of Plan This sub-section may include: • Contracted behavior-analytic services and dates, including the end date • Information about terminating services • Information on how to find another behavior analyst (e.g., In the event of termination, it is recommended that further behavior-analytic services be sought by contacting a certified behavior analyst through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board website; http://www.bacb.com/index.php.) • Criteria for discharge (e.g., according to the school contract, health insurance specifications, due to lack of progress, due to meeting mastery criteria) • Information about a crisis response to escalating maladaptive behavior • Information about transitioning out of behavior-analytic services and into another service or maintenance by trained family members/caregivers or school faculty and staff Attestation This section may include verification of who completed the report, the theoretical framework of the report (e.g., behavior-analytic), contact information for the behavior analyst, and signatures from the person who completed the report and the behavior analyst. Addendums This section may include raw data, tables, charts, or graphs, and resources.