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Justification & Background – The client is a 5-year-old…
Justification & Background – The client is a 5-year-old nonverbal girl, Rhianna, who is exhibiting aggressive behavior towards teachers and parents. She is currently enrolled in a special education program and is receiving speech, physical and occupational therapy. The client has a history of being developmentally delayed and has difficulty understanding and following directions. She has difficulty regulating her emotions and often displays outbursts of aggression when she is feeling overwhelmed or frustrated. In order to understand the function of the client’s behavior, a functional behavioral assessment will be conducted. This assessment will involve identifying the antecedents and consequences of the behavior and then determining the function of the behavior. The assessment will also include gathering data on the frequency, intensity, and duration of the behavior in order to gain a better understanding of the behavior.
The target behavior of hitting was chosen because it is a socially significant problem. Hitting is a form of aggression that can be both physically and psychologically damaging to the target. Hitting is also not an acceptable behavior in most social settings and can lead to social isolation and exclusion. The client’s hitting behavior is of particular concern because it is directed towards her teachers and parents, the people responsible for her safety and well-being.
Target Behavior Operationally Defined
Hitting: Making forceful physical contact with another person at any area of the body with the hand, arm, or shoulder or an inanimate object of any kind from a distance of 6 inches or more.
Indirect Assessments: Questions About Behavioral Function (QAFB) with Parents
Date of Assessment: January 27th, 2023
Rhianna’s mother and father were interviewed by the BCBA and asked to fill out the (QABF) assessment. During this time, the assessor was able to ask follow up questions regarding Rhianna’s behavior to gain further information regarding the potential function of the target behavior of hitting. Below are the results of that assessment, as well as summaries of what each parent discussed.
Image transcription text
Points scored Mother Father 15 10 5 0 Attention Escape
Non-Social Physical Tangible
Mother – Rhianna’s mother describes her hitting behavior as a way of “getting out of” things. When Rhianna is asked to do something, she responds by hitting whoever placed the demand on her. When asked about what happens after Rhianna engages in hitting behavior, the mother expressed that she often must go into “time out”. After this happens Rhianna usually is not asked to go back to the task she was asked to do, for fear that she will engage in hitting behavior once again.
Father – Rhianna’s father believes that her hitting behavior is solely to “get what she wants”. He described how she will refuse to do anything with the family, her peers, or her classmates, in order to do what she wants to do instead. Often hitting behavior results in her getting to go play with her toys or “not having to do what everyone else wants her to do”.
Indirect Assessments: Interview with Pre-School Teacher
Date of Assessment: January 30th, 2023
The assessor conducted a brief interview with Rhianna’s pre-school teacher, Ms. Lesley, via phone conversation. The following questions were asked:
How would you describe Rhianna’s hitting behavior?
When do you notice this behavior occurring?
What happens after Rhianna engages in hitting?
According to Ms. Lesley, Rhianna’s hitting behavior is restricted to using her hands, forearms, and sometimes shoulders to physically make contact with another person, often an adult in the classroom such as a teacher or a paraprofessional. Ms. Lesley notices the behavior happens after Rhianna is asked to clean up or do her work. When Rhianna hits an adult, she is given a “time out” and placed away from the other students in the “calm down corner”. Here, she can see the other students doing their work, and it is sometimes able to “keep herself entertained” by touching the walls around her or playing with her hair.
Interpretation of Results
Based on the information acquired during the indirect functional behavior assessment, it is likely that the function of Rhianna’s hitting behavior is either escape or tangible. Rhianna’s mother’s assessment results lean towards the function being escape, while her father’s assessment rated tangibles as a potential function of hitting behavior. Rhianna’s teacher described that, when she engages in hitting behavior, she can escape from the demands placed on her and retreat to another space to engage in alternate activities or with preferred items. Based on this discussion, it is likely that the function of the hitting behavior could be either escape or tangibles.
Both of these functions will be assessed further in the direct portion of the FBA.
Descriptive Assessment
ABC Narrative Data was collected on 2/15 and 2/16 regarding the target behavior of hitting and the possible functions of escape or tangibles/access. Rihanna was observed in her home and at her preschool in 20-minute periods for two observation sessions in each location for a total of 4 observation sessions.
Date
Location
Antecedent
Behavior
Consequence
Possible Function
2/15
School
Ms. Lesley asked Rihanna to put her backpack away and sit down
She pushed the classmate in front of her
Ms. Lesley puts her backpack away for her and Rihanna goes to sit on the carpet
Escape
2/15
School
Peer reminds Rihanna to pick up her toys after recess
Hits the peer and knocks their toys to the ground
Ms. Lesley places her in time-out in the “calm down corner”
Escape
2/15
School
Ms. Lesley instructs all the students to complete their math worksheet
Rihanna throws her pencil at Ms. Lesley
Ms. Lesley sends Rihanna to the “calm down corner” where she engages with various sensory toys
Escape/Tangible
2/15
Home
Shift of activity from coloring to completing homework with mom
Hits mom’s arm
Mom places Rihanna into “time out” chair
Escape
2/15
Home
Rihanna reaches for a cookie and mom tells her “Not before dinner”
Rihanna pushes her mom out of the way and grabs the cookie and runs away
Mom does not run after Rihanna and continues cooking dinner
Tangible
2/15
Home
Dad walks into the door and asks Rihanna how her day was
Rihanna pushes Dad and runs away screaming “NO”
Dad does not ask Rihanna how her day is again, and she retreats to her room
Escape
2/15
Home
Mom turns off the TV show Rihanna is watching and tells her to go brush her teeth
Rihanna attempts to grab the remote from her mom and hits her arm when she cannot get it
Rihanna’s mom tells her she has five more minutes but then she must go brush her teeth
Escape/tangible
2/16
School
Ms. Lesley prompted Rihanna to get into line to transition to the lunchroom
Rihanna pushes the classmate in front of her and runs to the lunchroom
Ms. Lesley does not ask Rihanna to get back into line and allows her to transition to the lunchroom on her own.
Escape
2/16
School
Ms. Lesley tells the class it is time to pack up to go home
Rihanna throws a block at her classmate
Rihanna is sent to the calm down corner and her mom must go into the classroom to retrieve her belongings
Escape
2/16
School
Rihanna’s mom tells her to wait in the classroom while she speaks to Ms. Lesley
Rihanna pulls on her arm and hits her when she does not budge
Rihanna runs out of the room and attempts to run towards the car – her mom chasing after her
Escape/Attention
2/16
Home
Rihanna’s grandmother arrives and tells her to come and give her a hug
Rihanna runs up and hits her, turns around, and goes to her room
Rihanna’s grandmother does not engage with Rihanna and says “she’s just in a mood”
Escape
2/16
Home
Rihanna’s father tells her to clean up her toys and come eat dinner at the table with the family
Rihanna throws a toy at him and closes her bedroom door in his face
Dad drops off her dinner in her bedroom and Rihanna eats while playing with her toys
Escape
2/16
Home
Rihanna’s mom gets down on her level while she is playing with toys and tells her to brush her teeth and put her PJs on
Rihanna pushes her mom over, knocking her onto the ground
Rihanna is given 5 more minutes to play and mom joins her
Escape/Attention
Based on the observations of Rihanna’s behavior during these four sessions, escape served as the potential function of the behavior for 8/13 instances of behavior. Attention/Escape constituted 2/13 instances and Tangibles/Escape constituted 2/13 behaviors as well. Based on the date collected during these observation sessions, it is likely that the function of Rihanna’s hitting behavior is escape.
Scatterplot
Ms. Lesley (Rihanna’s Pre-School Teacher)
Time
Monday 2/6
Tuesday
2/7
Wednesday
2/8
Thursday
2/9
Friday
2/10
Saturday
2/11
Sunday
2/12
8am-10am
xx
x
xxx
10am -12 pm
x
x
xx
12pm-2pm
xxx
xx
xxxx
Ms. Lesley collected data in the scatterplots above while Rihanna attended Preschool and was present in her classroom. Ms. Lesley described Rihanna having the “most trouble” during the beginning and end of the school day. During these times, Rihanna is often given instructions to complete a certain task, like putting her backpack away or getting ready to go home. Occasionally, Rihanna engages in hitting behavior in the middle of the day (10 am – 12 pm) which is during lunchtime, and she is having to transition between the classroom and the lunchroom via walking in a line.
Rihanna’s Mother
Time
Monday 2/6
Tuesday
2/7
Wednesday2/8
Thursday
2/9
Friday
2/10
Saturday
2/11
Sunday
2/12
8am-10am
x
xx
10am-12pm
xxx
12pm-2pm
x
2pm-4pm
xxx
x
x
xx
x
4pm-6pm
x
x
x
x
6pm-8pm
xx
xx
x
x
x
xxx
Rihanna’s mother collected data in the scatterplots above while Rihanna was in her presence after school and on the weekends. She explained that Rihanna engaged in hitting behavior mostly when she was asked to do something like her homework, to get ready for bed, or sit beside her parents while in church. According to the data, Rihanna engages in hitting behavior throughout the week, with the highest frequency occurring between the hours of 10 am and 12 pm, 2 pm and 4 pm, and 6 pm and 8 pm respectively. This suggests that the behavior is most likely taking place as a response to a specific set of preceding events or triggers, such as a feeling of being overwhelmed or frustrated. To achieve a deeper level of comprehension regarding the function of the behavior, it will be necessary for us to collect additional data in order to determine what occurs both before and after the behavior takes place. This will assist us in determining what it is about the behavior that is reinforcing it, as well as how we can intervene to change it.
Below is a graph of the compiled data collected by Ms. Lesley and Rihanna’s mother regarding instances of the target behavior
Image transcription text
Rihanna’s Hitting Behavior 4 8 am – 10 am 10 am – 12 pm 12 pm –
2 pm 3 2 pm – 4 pm 4 pm – 6 pm 6 pm – 8 pm 2 Monday Tuesday
Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Wednesday
From the data, we can see that the highest frequency of the target behavior occurs on Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays which are all days that involve a transition to and from being at home to being in school. Additionally, higher frequencies of the target behavior occur most often between the times of 8:00 am to 10:00 am, 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm and from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm throughout the week. Based on our conversations with Rihanna’s mother and Ms. Lesley, the high frequency of these behaviors tend to coincide with Rihanna being prompted to complete certain tasks such as completing schoolwork or getting ready for school/bed.
Describe which conditions were included and justify based on the results of previous assessments.
Describe the procedure for each condition.
Don’t forget to include: how long conditions lasted, how many times each condition was presented, order of presentation.
come up with a conclusive statement about behavioral function based on all the assessments you conducted. Describe the antecedent variables that evoke problem behavior and identify the maintaining reinforcer(s).
