Parents and professionals caring for people with autism sometimes encounter baffling, challenging behavior--noncompliance, aggression, or repetitive actions--which they don’t know how to stop. The key to resolving problem behavior is to first determine its purpose by conducting a functional behavior assessment (FBA).
In this second edition updated with new research, case studies, and anecdotes, the authors explain how clinicians conduct FBAs: measuring behavior; observing behavior and collecting data; testing the hypothesis about the behavior'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.
I read this as part of a graduate ABA training program and was impressed with its accessibility, readability, and straightforwardness. In particular, I feel this is an excellent guide for parents and caregivers of people (primarily children) with autism. I wish my family had had this resource throughout my sister’s diagnosis and the subsequent learning curve for us all.
This book is pretty much FBA101 and is good for beginners or those who have never done a functional behavior assessment. I got it hoping for more insight into strateges for particular behaviors that are challenging with individuals with autism. This was a real let down for me.