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Caregiver‐ and staff‐conducted functional analysis outcomes: A summary of 52 cases
Author(s) -
Kurtz Patricia F.,
Fodstad Jill C.,
Huete John M.,
Hagopian Louis P.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of applied behavior analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1938-3703
pISSN - 0021-8855
DOI - 10.1002/jaba.87
Subject(s) - psychology , multiple baseline design , clinical psychology , functional analysis , gerontology , medicine , psychiatry , intervention (counseling) , biochemistry , chemistry , gene
In the present study, caregivers were trained as therapists to conduct functional analyses (FAs) after staff‐conducted FAs were inconclusive with 52 participants. Caregiver‐conducted FAs identified at least 1 function for problem behavior when staff‐conducted FAs were undifferentiated. When results of the staff‐conducted FAs were questionable, subsequent caregiver‐conducted FAs resulted in an exact match with staff‐conducted FA in about 68% of cases but identified new functions in about 30% of cases. Function‐based treatments based on caregiver‐conducted FAs were effective in reducing problem behavior by an average of 96% relative to baseline. Results suggest that when staff‐conducted FA outcomes yield inconclusive findings, using caregivers to conduct FAs is likely to produce differentiated results and ultimately result in the development of effective treatments.