Direct Functional BehaviorBehavior refers to any activity or action that living o... Assessment (Direct FBA) involves the use of direct observation and skill assessments to identify the function of a behavior. In this approach, the behavior analyst observes the individual in their natural environment and records specific details about the behavior, including its antecedents (what happens before), the behavior itself, and its consequences (what happens after). The goal is to understand the relationship between the behavior and the environmental variables maintaining it, which helps in developing effectiveEffective refers to one of the seven dimensions of ... intervention strategies.
Example
A behavior analyst is working with a student named Jake who frequently engages in aggressive behaviors (e.g., hitting peers) during group activities. To determine the function of the behavior, the analyst conducts a direct FBA by observing Jake in the classroom over several sessions. During the observations, the analyst records data on the antecedents (e.g., when Jake is given a group assignment), the behavior (hitting), and the consequences (peers move away from him). Through this data, the analyst determines that Jake’s behavior is maintained by escape from social interactions during group work. This information is used to create an intervention plan to teach Jake more appropriate ways to handle discomfort in group activities.