Assignment
You are a working behavior analyst! You have conducted a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) that included both the Indirect Assessment and the Direct Descriptive Assessment so you can now hypothesize the probable function of the target behavior and create a function-based behavior intervention plan (BIP). This week, you will create a narrated 10-12 slide Power Point to present to your client's parents to explain the results of the FBA and your BIP. After the presentation to the parents, remember to obtain informed consent!
Read the Case scenario:
My son, Hector, is 5 years old and recently has had a hard time in public places. He will try to run away from us when we are in the store, at the park, or in parking lots. This is very dangerous and makes us nervous. We have to hold his hand but sometimes he wiggles away. If we try and say, stay with us, he will laugh and run ahead. If we yell, "Stop!" he will stop but doesn't always come back. This is a little bit of progress compared to before where he would not even respond to "stop!" This happens several times a day so we have stopped taking him places as much as possible for safety reasons.
The other issue we are having with Hector is when we try to get out of the car to go anywhere he doesn't want to give up his toy trucks he is holding. Usually, we wouldn't mind if he brings them but they are huge and he can't take them into school. This event of taking the trucks away causes him to tantrum. He will scream, "mine!" try and hit, or push anyone away who tries to take them. This happens in school too if he has an activity he really likes. We are worried that this will continue to happen and he might not be able to stay in his current classroom anymore.
Task
1) Identify the target behavior?
2) What is the operational definition of the target behavior?
3) What are the contingencies triggering (Discriminative Stimulus)?
4) What are the contingencies maintaining (Reinforcement) the target behavior?
5) Hypothesis of the probable function of the target behavior based upon the A-B-C data?
6) Help design a function-based behavior intervention plan.
7) Explain the implementation process and the rationale for the behavior intervention plan (BIP) you created.
8) Identify the schedule of reinforcement for the BIP and provide a rationale for the selection of that schedule.
9) Identify the approaches that will be used to ensure generalization and maintenance of the desired behavior change.