Conducting School-Based Functional Behavioral Assessments: A Practitioner’s Guide

Widely recognized as a gold-standard resource, this authoritative book has been revised and expanded with 50% new material. It provides a complete introduction to functional behavioral assessment (FBA), complete with procedures, forms, and tools that have been piloted and refined in both general and special education settings. Numerous vivid examples illustrate how to use the authors’ behavior-analytic problem-solving model (BAPS) to synthesize assessment results and guide the design of individually tailored interventions. Practitioners and students enjoy the engaging, conversational tone. In a convenient large-size format, the book includes 17 reproducible checklists and forms. Purchasers get access to a companion webpage where they can download and print the reproducible materials.

New to This Edition
*Revised BAPS model reflects the latest research and offers a more comprehensive approach to FBA.
*Chapters on professional and ethical standards; analyzing how biological/medical conditions, thoughts, and emotions influence behavior; and analyzing how executive skills deficits influence behavior.
*Chapters on testing hypotheses about the functions of problem behavior; testing reinforcer effectiveness; and evaluating function-based interventions.
*Chapter providing applied learning experiences for professionals and students.
*Most of the reproducible tools are new or revised.

This book is in The Guilford Practical Intervention in the Schools Series, edited by Sandra M. Chafouleas.

Mark W. Steege, PhD, NCSP, BCBA-D, is Professor of Educational and School Psychology at the University of Southern Maine. He has written numerous research articles, book chapters, and books on functional behavioral assessment and response to intervention. His primary research interests are the application of applied behavior analysis in the assessment and treatment of interfering behaviors with persons with developmental disabilities. Dr. Steege has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, School Psychology Review, and Journal of Evidence-Based Practices for Schools.

Jamie L. Pratt, PsyD, BCBA-D, is Assistant Professor and Chair of Educational and School Psychology at the University of Southern Maine. Dr. Pratt has coauthored several articles and book chapters on behavioral assessment and intervention, and has provided assessment, intervention, and consultation services for school-age children with developmental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Her primary research interests are in extending behavior analytic assessment and intervention methods to improve outcomes for children.

Garry Wickerd, PhD, NCSP, BCBA, is Assistant Professor of Educational and School Psychology at the University of Southern Maine. He has coauthored several behavioral research publications and serves on the editorial board of School Psychology Forum. Dr. Wickerd’s primary research interests are behavioral measurement and assessment validity.

Richard Guare, PhD, is Director of the Center for Learning and Attention Disorders at Seacoast Mental Health Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Dr. Guare’s research and publications focus on the understanding and treatment of learning and attention difficulties. He is a neuropsychologist and board-certified behavior analyst who frequently consults to schools and agencies. He is coauthor of bestselling books for general readers, including Smart but Scattered, Smart but Scattered Teens, Smart but Scattered--and Stalled (with a focus on emerging adults), and The Smart but Scattered Guide to Success (with a focus on adults). Dr. Guare is also coauthor of The Work-Smart Academic Planner, Revised Edition, and books for professionals including Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents, Third Edition.

T. Steuart Watson, PhD, retired in 2011 from Miami University, where he was Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology. He is a recipient of the Lightner Witmer Award from Division 16 (School Psychology) of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Watson is a former coeditor of the Journal of Evidence-Based Practices for Schools, and he has written numerous articles, books, and book chapters on behavioral interventions, functional assessment, and the application of behavioral principles in school settings. His research has focused on evaluating the effects of external reinforcers on motivation, direct behavioral consultation, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of behavioral interventions, promoting treatment integrity, functional assessment methodologies, and investigating the effects of olfactory stimuli on learning.