Sprague,
J. R., & Horner, R. H. (1995). Functional Assessment and
Intervention in Community Settings. Mental Retardation and
Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews , 1 , 89-93.
Abstract
Functional assessment has
emerged as an important strategy for designing effective interventions
for serious problem behavior. A comprehensive functional assessment
identifies the behavior of concern, stimuli correlated with the onset
and maintenance of the behavior, features of the setting in which the
behavior occurs, and behaviors (typically communication) that may serve
to replace the problem behavior. We present a historical and modern
context for functional assessment and, in juxtaposition to this,
discuss the purposes of functional assessment as a tool for
research-ers and practitioners. We review the current range of
functional
assessment applications, emphasizing the strengths and limi-tations of
each; propose needed extensions of existing functional assessment
methods; and discuss the critical role of functional assessment in
designing effective community-based behavioral interventions.
