Unit 9 Assignment Assessment in ABA

Functional Behavior Assessment and Functional Analysis Your Name Subject and Section Professor’s Name Date Description of the Target Behavior: Elopement In behavioral contexts, elopement is a dangerous behavior that entails running away from a given area without permission or strict adult supervision to avoid a situation, to get attention, or to fetch something (Boyle & Adamson, 2017). Mike usually elopes by mimicking that he is running away from his mother, whether in sites like a supermarket or trying to 'escape' from a park. These behaviors pose much danger to the safety of the child. For instance, the child may get lost, meet with an accident, meet with other traffic, or any other environmental hazards. Functional Analysis of Behavior (FBA) Protocols Indirect Assessment Methods The assessment measures will include comprehensive interviews and standardized questionnaires to assess Mike's elopement behavior. An interview using open-ended questions with Mike’s mother, where certain aspects will be understood, such as situations when Mike escapes in public places such as supermarkets or parks, shall be administered. Furthermore, information on elopement during school activities may be obtained from interviews with the early intervention program staff and personal observations of incidents during activities. Many of these tools, such as the Functional Assessment Interview (FAI), will be used formatively to collect information regarding the antecedent triggers and subsequent consequences of Mike's elopement behavior to help us form a basis for the FA. Furthermore, the Motivation Assessment Scale (MAS) will help identify whether Mike elopes to gain attention, escape from demands, or get access to desirable items (Fee et al., 2016). Direct Observation Methods Direct observation methods will have to include Mike’s elopement behavior observations in the various settings to collect actual data, as this method provides insights into actual human behavior (Fix et al., 2022, p. 5). Observations will consist of written descriptions of elopement incidents in detail, including any place that may include playgrounds or areas with a cluster of individuals to which Mike runs away. The ABC (Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence) chart will record each episode's antecedents like loud noises or unfamiliar environments, behavior such as Mike running away, and consequences like being chased by his mother (University of Kansas, n.d.-a). Histograms and frequency polygons will show a pattern by graphing the number of times elopement has occurred at various times and under different conditions to show when elopement is most likely to happen or which activity is likely to lead to elopement (Cooksey, 2020, pp. 70-71). Data Collection Procedures Frequency recording will count the number of times Mike slyly sneaks out during the weekend (Merbitz et al., 2015). Duration recording will look at the period that each elopement incident takes, which will inform how long Mike is missing after running off. Interval recording will involve observing Mike's behavior at specific time durations, an instance being after every five minutes on a shopping trip, helping the observer to note whether elopement has occurred, hence helping the observer note the occurrence in different activities. This data will create specific plans to address and prevent elopement behavior with Mike (University of Kansas, n.d.-b). Functional Analysis Assessment Definition of Functional Analysis and its Relevance Functional analysis (FA) is crucial in understanding the factors that lead to Mike's elopement, and it is done by adjusting environmental factors to analyze the behavioral changes that occur. This process helps identify whether an elopement is due to attention, escape, access to tangible items, or automatic reinforcement, which informs the intervention to address the issue (Lincoln et al., 2017). Functional Analysis Conditions Attention Condition When Mike elopes, he gets attention, proving that the behavior aims to get social attention. For instance, an adult he meets daily may follow him and speak to him when he returns. Escape Condition If he elopes, tasks or demands are removed; he determines if he wants to avoid activities. This could entail halting a cleanup activity because he has run away. Tangible Condition In the case of Mike's eloping, preferred items are given to determine whether such behavior is for earning tangibles. For example, when eloping, Mike could be given his favorite toy or snacks to encourage him to revert to the group. Alone Condition There is no stimulus provided for Mike to make sure that elopement, indeed, is self-reinforcing. This assists in differentiating between whether the behavior is performed even without any extrinsic motivation. Control (Play) Condition Mike receives attention and items with no requests, which is helpful as a comparison point. This condition enables comparison with the objective of elopement to know if contingencies are present in such situations. Procedures for Performing the Functional Analysis Setting Up the Environment Examine the different ways to satisfy one’s requirements, guaranteeing a secure, predictable ...