Instruction in Functional Assessment

Reviewed by Kristen Humphrey, Professor, Pittsburg State University on 1/16/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The text starts with foundational information about challenging behavior. It then explains what a functional behavioral assessment is and various methods of collecting information for the assessment. Then, development of a behavioral plan is addressed. These were the topics I was most interested in utilizing, but the text also addresses how to teach this content to others.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I found the content to be accurate and consistent with what I know about functional behavioral assessments.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The content is up to date and it is appropriate for those wanting to conduct FBA and develop behavior intervention plans for children served in special education. Further, it has relevance to other settings where individuals may present with challenging behavior.

Clarity rating: 5

The content is presented in an easy-to-understand manner. I plan to use it with undergraduate students and feel confident that the content will be accessible to them.

Consistency rating: 5

The text was consistent in regard to terminology and style of presentation throughout the chapters.

Modularity rating: 5

The content will be easy to assign to students in manageable sections.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The topics are presented in a logical order with foundational information first and higher concepts as one moves through the text.

Interface rating: 5

The text displayed appropriately in the online link, in the downloaded pdf, and in the Kindle app for iPad.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I found no grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I appreciated the respectful language regarding people with disabilities and the ethical considerations that were addressed.

Comments

I appreciated the discussion questions, worksheets, and assignment ideas included.

Reviewed by Ben Bryan, Adjunct Faculty, Social Science Department, Rogue Community College on 3/7/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This book seems totally comprehensive. It does a good job of bouncing between clinical definitions, assessment tools and explanations which creates academic credibility from page one. For example, it highlights the differences, strengths and weaknesses of the indirect, observational, and experimental format of assessment. May academic tests focus only on observational and experimental structures as they are the most academic.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

My familiarity with Functional Assessment comes from a master’s level social work perspective primarily with chronic and persistent mental illness. From this perspective, the content in this textbook is completely accurate, unbiased and error free. The theory, rationale and effectiveness is explained an thorough manner and addresses any counter-intuitive points well.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The content is up to date and as its assessment based, the content is timeless and could easily be adapted to remain contemporary. It would be fascinating to keep older examples in as behavioral norms change. It uses examples from current situations to illustrate the points and learning objectives.

Clarity rating: 5

This text is appropriately clear, it is helpful that there are embedded definitions, assessment tools and links to the glossary. This makes it easy to find more information about a topic without being distracted or easily losing your place. In addition, it is clearly written such that both students new to the idea of functional assessment can follow the material while more experienced readers can incorporate what they already know to deepen their understanding.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework. This book is 100% consistent. As it is academic and addresses the same tools throughout each chapter there is a risk it could contradict itself as some other books do. However, the theory beyond the interventions remain consistent throughout the application to each special-needs application.

Modularity rating: 5

This text does rely on itself as the cases build in complexity towards the end of the book. However, it does not seem possible given the content to drastically change that. With that being said, it is organized into coherent, reasonably paced chunks. In addition, as it is organized by population, some content could be left out if this text was being used in a specific program (teachers vs therapists for example).

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The topics are presented in a clear and concise manner. Theories are introduced alongside their intended applications which makes their use grounded and easy to understand. Each chapter is divided into intuitive sub-chapters or modules that progress in a logical manner.

Interface rating: 4

This text is in a relatively standard e-book online format. The interface isn’t complex, but it is effective and there are no errors or barriers to use present in what I reviewed.
I didn't give full points because it would have been nice to have the Chapters divided into smaller modules with clickable links through the table of contents

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No errors. Sentence structure, grammar punctuation and cadence are all professional and college level.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

This book is not culturally incompetent, however, examples of how cultural diversity could affect functional assessment were noticeably absent. The word ‘culture’ was only used three times in the entire book. The passage below discussed differences exist in culture, but does not provide insight into what those may be or how the assessor should approach people different than themselves. Understanding the family and their culture is necessary when assessing an individual’s challenging behavior. Cultural differences may involve any combination of age, race/ethnicity, social class, sex, language, religion, sexual orientation, ableness (special needs), regionality, and nationality. For instance, a family may come from cultural contexts with very different viewpoints about education and appropriate child behaviors and this may be involved with the occurrence of the individual’s challenging behaviors. The more different the cultural background of the family, the more likely that the individuals involved will face cultural conflicts resulting from those differences (Brown, 2010). This is especially true when sensitive topics or cultural incidents occur. Understanding the family and the cultural context of the family is critical to a comprehensive assessment and treatment. Professionals must ensure that families are part of the process and strive to build a positive, strong partnership with the family.

Reviewed by Jennifer Walker, Associate Professor, University of Mary Washington on 7/13/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The table of contents is presented with a helpful, clickable option to find information in the text. In addition, the table of contents has a drop down option where an overview of the contents is provided. The book covers a great deal of information about functional analysis and includes several other resources. Each chapter starts with focus questions, contains additional resources, and ends with discussion questions and exercises for the reader. While templates are provided as a resource, these are downloadable, creating some challenges with internet security. The references are extensive and up to date and the glossary provides a lengthy list of terminology. These terms are easily accessed by clicking on red words that take the reader directly to the definition. Overall, it is difficult to discern if the targeted audience are practitioners or those who prepare these practitioners.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The authors used up to date and relevant literature to support this text. In chapter two, the authors note that one reason to use a functional analysis (FA) is because it is required by federal law. This is not an accurate statement and may confuse readers since the law specifies the use of functional behavior assessments (FBAs), not FAs, which are different processes. While the content appears correct from a behavior analyst perspective, it is not completely accurate from an educational standpoint. It may be helpful for the authors to shift the references from the Council for Exceptional Children to High Leverage Practices.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The content of this text would be relevant and helpful to anyone working with students or children with behavioral needs. There is a foundational component to the text that describes terminology and basic principles as well as more in depth "how to" chapters. While the intended audience is somewhat unclear, this text can benefit both practitioners and those who teach these practitioners. While the text may require small updates as it relates to research based practices and law, little will likely change in the next several years.

Clarity rating: 5

The information presented in this text is straightforward and clear for readers. Terms are defined in an easy to understand format that doesn't require extensive background knowledge in behaviorism. The discussion questions and case studies require the readers to home in on the key components from each chapter, which is helpful. In some sections, it would be beneficial to have more concrete examples to ensure understanding. Much like the case studies are written, having a scenario to ground the terms and processes would be a welcome addition.

Consistency rating: 5

The framework of this book is extremely consistent, using the same format throughout. There are some inconsistencies with terminology, specifically FAs, FBAs, and FAn, leading to confusion. Overwhelmingly though, the book flows logically and builds upon knowledge from previous chapters.

Modularity rating: 5

The text is easy to read and contains a sufficient amount of charts, tables, graphs, and subheadings. The sections are clearly delineated with headings, creating bite-sized readings. Chapter 1 has less of these visual breaks, but it is still divided into sections. If this text were used in a course, it could be easily parsed out by chapter or section as a stand alone instructional unit. In particular, chapters 4-6 would be an excellent way to teach functional assessment. In addition, the resources provided in chapter 7 could also be used independently of the book, or in conjunction with case studies and discussion questions.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The text is well organized and is written in a progressive format (overview of principles to determining functions of behavior). The chapter order is logical and clear. No concerns noted.

Interface rating: 4

The text is presented in a professional manner and uses consistent text font, size, and headings. Each chapter can be viewed in its entirety individually. There are several graphs embedded in the text and each of these are easy to read and understand. Terms are highlighted and these are easy to click on and review. The only challenge with this text is the resources, which are downloads. It would be my preference to be able to view these documents first, and then download them if I was interested.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors were noted in this text. The text is professionally written.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The text includes a section on the family's contribution to the assessment of the individual's challenging behavior, which includes a section on understanding culture. The example provided is helpful for the reader and inclusive of cultural differences. It would be nice to see this woven throughout all of the chapters, with reminders or examples about how culture may impact or influence behavior. The authors do include literature as references, but these instances are concentrated and minimal. Given that cultural differences may influence the results of the FA, additional examples would be beneficial.

Comments

Overall, this text is a great resource when teaching about functional analysis. The format is straightforward and easy to read by novice practitioners, which is so important! I will definitely return to utilize portions of the book as well as the discussion questions and case studies.

Reviewed by Jody Siker, Assistant Professor, Northeastern Illinois University on 5/11/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This book focuses on defining functional assessment and functional analysis and covers this topic well. There are resources and case studies throughout. I also appreciate the guiding questions at the beginning of chapters and the questions at the end of chapters. The organization of the text could be improved as could the targeting of information to the intended audience. Although the authors target practitioners in their introduction, the text seems to be targeted to university instructors who prepare those practitioners. The quality of case studies and resources is high as is the glossary, which is easily navigated by clicking on a red word and being able to return to the same spot in the text after reading the definition. The intended aim at practitioners is also missing a real explanation of working with families, especially those from non-dominant communities. In addition, the description of disabilities in chapter one is cursory and not comprehensive.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The text is clearly research-based and has a deep coverage of functional assessment and functional analysis. There is also a very clear description of behavior analysis and definitions therein. The flow chart in chapter 2 is very helpful in understanding the functional assessment process and there are many opportunities to practice skills using detailed cases. This approach of behavior analysis is aligned with practices of BCBAs and so it has the biases of focusing on those practices as the only way to approach behavior analysis. The dominant culture is strongly represented in the description of these practices and the language used in the book. There is one paragraph about collaborating with diverse families, but the rest of the book is about using these specific practices or teaching others how to use them. These family considerations pop up in chapter 2 (which is otherwise about different approaches to assessing behavior) for one small paragraph and the idea of “culture” is there, but it’s a very dominant approach to the idea of families and focuses on a disconnect, a deficit view of families who have different beliefs. The authors mention that practitioners must understand families, but the section is short and doesn’t have practical strategies or mention systemic inequities that leave families out by design.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The book is relevant to current times and practices because these concepts of behavior analysis are currently the gold standard in place across settings. Collecting and using data to understand behaviors and then being proactive and/or teaching replacement behaviors is the current process (and best process) in place. If the audience is university faculty or professionals who train practitioners, the later chapters (3-6) are relevant. Chapter 3 covers treatment for behaviors, which is helpful because after you have assessed behavior, it’s time to teach replacement behaviors and/or be proactive in preventing target behaviors to occur at all. Chapter 4 talks about how to teach FA (e.g., BCBA programs, online programs, simulation) which isn’t contextualized and basically switches the intended audience of the book from students learning to work with students with challenging behaviors to their university instructors. I do like the examples and cases at the end. Chapter 5 is about teaching Functional Analysis in different ways. The role-play method draws on Gardener, which is a pretty dated reference. In chapter 6, the author’s present a new way of teaching FA, the FACT approach. This uses case studies to teach about FA. All of this is good information, but it is unclear who the audience is.

Clarity rating: 3

There are a lot of clear and detailed case studies and materials in the book. The examples and activities are wonderful, but the text is mostly written for advanced audiences, perhaps professionals who are already BCBA certified. For the intended audience, the writing is too advanced and full of jargon. There is a lot of technical language required when trying to understand behaviors, but this text is not approachable overall. The cases and examples are highly approachable, though. It's the chapter content that skews too technical.

Consistency rating: 5

This book is consistent in the language and approach to FA and FAn. The structure of the book is clear and predictable. I appreciated the glossary where you can click on words, read the definition and jump back to that point in the book. I like the additional links included and peer review is evident.

Modularity rating: 4

This text is organized in a logical way to be able to assign one chapter at a time. The materials to assess if students did the reading and understand the concepts are all present in the book. There are fillable forms for answering questions about content and also engaging more fully with the case studies. I can envision activities in class that would use the materials provided within the chapters and at the end of the book in the "resources" section. The first chapter is less effective in terms of modularity and needs more visuals. Each chapter improves on availability of visuals and examples. If I were using this text in a class, I would probably skip chapter 1 because I don't like how it covered disability. I would start with chapter 2 and supplement that chapter with articles about working with diverse families. The rest of the chapters are fine on their own.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

The organization within chapters and between chapters needs work. I can see the intent to start big-picture and move to a more detailed approach of the FACT model, using case studies to teach functional assessment. The organization of the first chapter starts with disability definitions and then moves directly into defining and measurability of behavior and methods. Then it jumps back out to prevalence and risk factors. Chapter 4 talks about how to teach FA (e.g., BCBA programs, online programs, simulation) which isn’t contextualized and basically switches the intended audience of the book from students learning to work with students with challenging behaviors to their university instructors. The overall organization needs work because it is unclear.

Interface rating: 5

The interface is a strength of this text. I like the fillable forms used for questions and assessment protocols. I also like the glossary and how you can jump back to where you were reading because every word as a "return" button. Images and charts are clear and not distorted or distracting. I prefer chapters (e.g., 3-6) with more visuals and examples. It might have helped to use appendices more so that case studies and examples don't interrupt the text, but I like taking breaks from large blocks of text to consider and application of what I just learned.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The book is clear and technical, but grammar is intact.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

Family considerations pop up in chapter 2 (which is otherwise about different approaches to assessing behavior) for one small paragraph and the idea of “culture” is there, but it’s a very dominant approach to the idea of families and focuses on a disconnect, a deficit view of families who have different beliefs or who are from non-dominant communities. The authors mention that practitioners must understand families, but the section is short and doesn’t have practical strategies or mention systemic inequities that leave families out by design. The book is not inherently offensive, but it whitewashes diverse voices and opts out of a real consideration of cultural diversity.

Comments

Although I'm not sure who the intended audience is and I didn't like chapters 1-2, I did appreciate the rest of the book. The case studies and examples are wonderful and there is a real overview of the terms and concepts needed to assess and understand behavior.

Reviewed by angela whalen, Clinical Associate Professor, School Psychology, University of Oregon on 6/15/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This text provides an overview or introduction to (1) functional assessment and (2) teaching functional assessment to others. It provides a good amount of detail to provide working knowledge for teachers and other school staff who may participate on school teams that are conducting FBAs and/or using FBA results to develop behavior intervention plans. It probably does not have the depth needed as a text for training individuals (e.g., school psychologists, behavior specialists) to conduct FBAs or lead school teams in this process. This text could provide a foundation for knowledge-building, which could easily be supplemented with additional resources for further skill development.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

There is good coverage of the technical aspects of functional assessment. I found Chapter 3: Treatment Implications Based on the Functional Assessment to be one of the greatest strengths of this text - full of great information and resources for intervention planning.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The content of this text is highly relevant to anyone working with children who demonstrate challenging behaviors. Chapters 1-3 are appropriate for individuals involved with assessment and intervention for challenging behaviors in schools or other settings. Chapters 4-6 are relevant for individuals who teach functional assessment to others, or supervise novice practitioners.

Clarity rating: 4

The authors use language that is accessible to the lay person or education professional, while also presenting the technical terms commonly used in ABA and other fields of psychology. Some sections, especially related to single-case design, may be a bit technical for readers who do not have a background in that area. There are links to a glossary of terms throughout, so readers can quickly obtain more detailed definitions of terms used in the text. The inclusion of many examples and case studies to illustrate concepts, along with opportunities for the reader to practice, make this useful for teaching graduate students.

Consistency rating: 4

Overall, there was good consistency with the writing and terminology used. A few times, I would have liked the authors to be more precise with their use of ‘functional assessment’ and ‘functional analysis,’ but this was a minor issue.

Modularity rating: 5

This almost seems like two texts in one. Chapters 1-3 could stand alone as an introduction to functional assessment. Each chapter could provide a nice "unit" of learning. Chapters 4-6 could stand alone as a resource for teaching functional assessment or supervising novice practitioners. Chapter 7 includes a variety of useful resources such as forms that can be used for observations/data collection or for teaching basic functional assessment skills. These resources would be helpful as stand alone materials, as well.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Well organized.

Interface rating: 5

The online text is easy to use and navigate. Chapters can be viewed individually, which helps reduce the amount of scrolling.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors noticed in the text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

Although not a primary focus of the text, cultural considerations for using functional assessment with individuals with disabilities are present throughout.

Reviewed by Rodger Bufford, Professor, Graduate School of Clinical Psychology, George Fox University on 5/9/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Focused on individuals with developmental disabilities and disruptive behaviors, Instruction in Functional Assessment provides an overview of applied functional analysis. It begins with a clear review of behavior theory and a description of common forms of developmental and behavioral difficulties that may be encountered. Functional analysis/assessment is then introduced as the tool for identifying the characteristics of the problem behaviors and their controlling conditions. Treatment planning and implementation come next, along with assessing outcomes. Next, practical materials and case studies for training in functional analysis skills are provided. The book ends with a list of resources for and several blank templates that can be used to support practical implementation of functional analytics skills. Training materials, references, and an extensive glossary complete the volume.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Concepts and processes related to functional analysis are accurately and concisely presented.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The review of literature related to functional assessment is current and extensive. Functional assessment is an established field that began with work in the 1960s, so it is anticipated that looking forward the pace of change will be slow and revisions can be incorporated as needed. Public school classrooms are a focus of the material, but suggestions for adaptation to other settings are provided.

Clarity rating: 4

In general concepts and processes were carefully and clearly explained; a glossary was also provided. However, a couple exceptions to such clarity were encountered. Also, coding symbols used in Table 20 were not explained and may pose a challenge for readers; this occurred in a couple of other places as well.

Consistency rating: 4

Contents were generally consistent. An exception is that on page 51 a question is posed about “five ways to determine if treatment is effective.” It appears to refer to a list of five aspects of treatment effectiveness listed on page 45. The lack of conceptual/linguistic consistency seemed confusing.

Modularity rating: 3

Because the goal of this volume is to facilitate development of the knowledge and skills of functional analysis, most readers will likely wish to use all of this short text. However, those who possess either pertinent knowledge or skills may find the counterpart materials helpful by themselves. The resources may also be of use on their own.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Progression of the material from knowledge to skills and application is clear, as noted above.

Interface rating: 5

No difficulties were encountered.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Grammar and English usage were excellent.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The primary domains of diversity addressed here is those of developmental disability and disruptive behavior. Disruptive behavior involves patterns of behavior or psychological distress commonly found among the mentally ill, persons diagnosed as mental disorders. Because children who manifest developmental disability and disruptive behavior are often placed in public school classrooms, school applications of functional analysis are emphasized. Cultural differences are addressed briefly on p. 28 as well.

Comments

Focus questions precede and discussion questions and practice exercises follow most chapters. Numerous charts, diagrams, figures, and recording sheets are provided.
Ethical considerations are also addressed.

Reviewed by Shannon Hall-Mills, Assistant In, Florida State University on 11/5/18

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This text covers the basic tenets of functional behavior assessment with children, including a review of challenging behaviors that children with developmental disabilities may exhibit, methods for assessment and assessment driven treatment, pedagogical approaches to teach knowledge of functional assessment and clinical-decision making, training based on real cases, and resources for interdisciplinary teams. The text is written broadly enough for direct application in a variety of professional training programs, including programs in Communication Science and Disorders (CSD) preparing future speech-language pathologists (SLPs). For students pursuing a career in speech-language pathology, functional behavior assessment is an important component of a comprehensive evaluation model to address communication difficulties of children with a range of disabilities. Instructors can take the format of the case studies presented in this text to develop and embed additional case examples based on CSD clinical cases. The text provides an adequate base text to which instructors may provide supplemental material specific to the communication underpinnings of behavior to augment the main text.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The functional assessment strategies presented in the text are empirically-based and rooted in theories of applied behavior analysis.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This text addresses a gap in the literature for school-based CSD students. Behavior challenges of children is the #1 challenge reported by graduate students and their supervisors. The content is relevant to current and future practices. When additional or emerging evidence arises for specific functional behavior strategies or techniques, the structure of the text lends well to incorporating updates as needed.

Clarity rating: 4

The text is written in a clear, concise, and well-organized manner. The level of the language is appropriate for advanced undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and professional level students or trainees. Given the specialization of the topic, there are many technical terms and concepts throughout the text. However, the authors provide a comprehensive glossary of terms to aid the reader. My only suggestion for further enhancing the clarity of the text would be to incorporate a list of the necessary prerequisite knowledge and skills recommended for readers to have prior to reading this text.

Consistency rating: 4

The framework and terminology are consistent throughout the text. The types of behaviors and the need for functional behavior assessment extends beyond the developmental disability categories listed in chapter 1. For example, in addition to children with intellectual disability, autism, cerebral palsy, and medical conditions such as epilepsy, children may present with different diagnostic labels but with similar challenging behaviors, such as children with speech and/or language impairment. Speech-Language impairment can be a primary disability, but it may also manifest as a disability secondary to other disabilities, and is the most common disability among young children and school-age children. It would suffice to add more developmental disability categories to Table 1, and then refer broadly to "developmental disabilities" except for case-based examples.

Modularity rating: 5

It is feasible to incorporate individual sections of the text as separate modules, either within a single course or across courses. The chapters can stand alone in this way, and be organized for different courses based on the student/trainee level and scope of the course. The text can be flexibly packaged for different courses. I also foresee the text lending well to professional development courses for experienced educators and clinicians. The interdisciplinary focus of the text supports interdisciplinary or interprofessional education.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Each chapter begins with reflection questions that can be used as a pre-reading strategy but also setting the climate in the classroom for discussion. Each chapter ends with a series of discussion questions. These can be used as a post-reading comprehension strategy for students in their independent reading, but also for highlighting key ideas during class meetings. Some of the discussion items can be prompts for written projects. Some of the reflection questions can be used for reflection journal stems.
• Case studies provide many opportunities for contextual illustration and in-class practice of FA strategies

Interface rating: 5

The text is easy to navigate, images are clear, and visual features are used to aid the reader.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text contains no grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

The cultural context of functional assessment is addressed briefly in chapter 2. Instructors and students of multiple disciplines, including CSD, which focus on culturally relevant and culturally responsive practices, will need to augment this text with additional content for this purpose.

Reviewed by Jennifer McKenzie, Assistant Professor of Special Education, Southern Utah University on 6/19/18

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The clickable glossary is very useful, especially the function of the reader being able to return directly from the glossary entry to the place it is used in the text. The literature base is solid and the reference list give good resources for further inquiry.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The authors’ choice of extant literature used in the text is very thorough and accurate. One inaccuracy noted is the authors’ assertion that functional assessment (FA) is a requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004. IDEIA includes provisions for the use of functional behavior assessment (FBA) for students with disabilities whose behaviors impede their learning or the learning of others. Assessment is used more in educational settings, as it is not as intrusive as the more experimental “analysis”, in which conditions are manipulated to produce changes in behavior in order to determine the behavior’s function. The authors describe functional analysis, but readers may confuse the different topics when reading research outside of the text.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Functional analysis and assessment have been used and researched for several decades without significant modifications to the methods. This text will be applicable for several years without the need for significant updates, except to add new literature with additional populations of students.

Clarity rating: 3

The clarity of the text is excellent for educational practitioners. Chapter one has a significant amount of content that would need supplementary instruction for students who are new to Behaviorism and behavior change principles. The exercises at the end of each chapter help with this, though, by focusing the reader’s attention to important concepts and giving an opportunity to practice new knowledge and skills. The case study activities and blank forms at the end of the book are excellent and could be used as a resource for teacher trainers.

As a reader, I am a bit confused by the intended audience of chapters 5 and 6. The book’s initial chapters are written, it seems, for an audience of students who are new to the field of Behaviorism and functional assessment. Chapters 5 and 6, however, are clearly written for teacher educators in an attempt to help them teach college students about functional assessment. While this might be of great benefit to teacher educators, these chapters seem out of place.

Consistency rating: 4

The text holds firm to the principles of Behaviorism and to the consistent use of correct functional assessment methods. As a scholar of the field, I found that some inconsistencies with the terms used may lead to confusion. For example, functional analysis is the long accepted term associated with the abbreviation “FA”, but the authors use functional assessment and use the abbreviation “FAn" for functional analysis. These two terms are not the same and should not be used interchangeably, as analysis is an experimental approach and assessment is not.

Also see the comments above regarding chapters 5 and 6.

Modularity rating: 5

This text is actually broken into much smaller segments of text than most textbooks, making it easier to digest the information in smaller units. Most of the chapters and activities could be arranged to fit a course in functional behavior assessment without undue disruption to the reader.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

The topics in the text are presented logically, beginning with an overview of the behavioral principles and building toward the complete understanding of using those principles to determine the function of behavior.

Also see the comments above regarding chapters 5 and 6.

Interface rating: 5

The interface is one of the strengths of this text. There are many good examples of behavioral principles and the tables add to the reader’s understanding of the concepts and are well placed in the text. It is visually appealing and easy to follow.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text is professionally written and there were no noticeable grammatical errors in the text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The authors incorporate relevant citations for literature that has included racial diversity in the studied samples. It has been well documented in the literature that principles of behaviorism apply across race, ethnic origin, and gender.

Comments

This text as a whole would be an appropriate text for students studying low-incidence disabilities, such as the specific developmental disabilities mentioned in the text. Part of the book, such as chapters 1 - 4 would be applicable to a more general population studying behavior change principles.

Reviewed by Crystal De Kam, Human Service Faculty / Counselor, Century College on 5/21/18

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The text cover more in depth than I had anticipated with regards to Functional Assessment. The breakdown of Functional assessment is easy for individuals to understand and the later chapters are helpful for individuals who will teach the topic in the future. I appreciated case examples, exercises, practice activities, templates, focus and discussion questions. The Glossary has a nice “return” feature which will bring the reader back to the point in the text where the word was. I liked the additional materials in “Resources for Team Members of Interdisciplinary Professionals” which included syllabi ideas, and DVDs related to the topic.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I would feel comfortable using this text and have used several chapters. The material appears accurate from a counseling and psychological perspective with no noticeable bias.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The research and content is up-to-date and the material covered is relevant to students entering the workforce. The material appears to have longevity but as research continues could benefit from a renewal in 4-5 years. These updates should be easy and straight forward to implement. The examples given were accurate and meaningful and should have longevity to them.

Clarity rating: 5

No concerns for clarity were noted. It appears easy to read for individuals new to the topic by describing new words and terms as the text progresses. Students in an entry level course expressed no difficulties with the clarity.

Consistency rating: 5

No concerns for consistency were noted. It appears easy to read for individuals new to the topic by describing new words and terms as the text progresses.

Modularity rating: 5

I have used smaller reading sections with no issues in the past for human service courses. The first few chapters can make great standalone readings especially with the study material and questions at the end of the reading.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The books organization is logical, and it flows well. No concerns were noted.

Interface rating: 4

The book’s interface appears professional with no noticeable concerns and no distracting problems.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors noted.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

Cultural concerns are addressed but mildly. Examples from instructors outside of the text would most likely be beneficial.

Comments

I particularly appreciate the first several chapters " Challenging Behaviors of Individuals with Developmental Disabilities" "The Methodology of Functional Assessment: Process and Products" and "Treatment Implications Based on the Functional Assessment" as modules in the human service courses to develop foundational knowledge about Functional Assessment.

Reviewed by Jeannie Golden, Associate Professor, East Carolina University on 2/1/18

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Very comprehensive review of functional assessment. Includes information about developmental and intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviors which is very helpful as well. I love the case examples, exercises, practice activities, templates, focus and discussion questions, graphs and tables.The literature review is also very thorough. I recommend including the concept of replacement behavior in the glossary.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The book is very accurate in describing the most important concepts related to applied behavior analysis and functional behavioral assessment. One thing I might make more clear is the concept of a replacement behavior serving the same function as the problem behavior. The authors use an example of on task behavior as a replacement behavior for off-task behavior that serves the dual functions of peer attention and escaping demands. Technically, on-task behavior is not a replacement behavior that serves the same function. Requesting peer-attention or a break by asking for it would be more accurately considered a replacement behavior. This does not mean that the intervention that is suggested in the book is not appropriate. I am just concerned about the accuracy of the description of replacement behavior.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

I believe that many of the examples, case studies, activities, and cited literature make this book extremely relevant and that it will remain up-to-date or could be updated fairly easily.

Clarity rating: 5

The book is very well written and easy to understand. It presents many difficult concepts in very clear, tangible ways so that the reader can grasp the concepts. Also, all the case studies, focus and discussion questions, and activities will help the reader to apply these concepts in real-life settings.

Consistency rating: 5

The book is highly internally consistent in terminology and framework. I believe the authors provide equal attention to all the aspects of functional assessment that are important for the learner to understand and apply.

Modularity rating: 5

The modularity of the book is excellent. Each of the chapters can stand alone and have sections that are clearly delineated. Also, each chapter has its own activities, questions, sample forms that can supplement the learning of the content.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The book is well organized and flows in a logical sequence. The authors began with the types of disabilities and challenging behaviors that would warrant the use of functional assessment, provide an overview of applied behavior analysis and functional assessment, and then more in-depth instruction of the types of functional assessment as well as the methods of implementation leading to interventions.

Interface rating: 5

The book is free of interface issues. The highlighted terms and activities are very helpful and overall the book is very easy to navigate.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The focus question at the beginning of chapter 3 "What treatment approaches challenging behaviors and increase appropriate
behaviors?" does not seem to be grammatically correct. Other than that, I did not notice any grammatical errors in the book.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

Under ethical considerations, the authors reference the importance of being non-discriminatory in terms of race, culture and language. However, they did not elaborate on this point or give any examples. They also mentioned the difficulties for teachers when English is a secondary language or behavior is influence by trauma experiences, but they did not explicitly provide ideas for assisting teachers in these areas.

Comments

I am excited that I have found this open textbook. I thought that the authors wrote an excellent, useful and thorough text on the subject of functional assessment. I teach a graduate class titled "Behavior Assessment and Intervention" and I plan to use this open textbook in that class.

Reviewed by Ben Bryan, Adjunct Faculty, Rogue Community College on 8/15/17

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This book is terrific. It covers not only the specific details of conducting a functional assessment with a variety of populations and contexts but also an explanation of the various theories that are important to understandint the functional analysis itself. This means the reader doesn't have to have extensive prior knowledge.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

As a psychology instructor, the psychological concepts are very accurate. There are no concerns about the accuracy and I would feel comfortable using this text. For example, noncontingent reinforcement is explained without any bias (which can be challening).

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Since many of the theories are classical psychological concepts, those will never 'get old' or outdated. This may be the point and I missed it, but... the ideal user of this text seems to be someone entering the field of using FA's in their line of work. It seems there could be an 'application' section to using it in non-work enviroments. i.e. benefits and challenges when using this at home.

Clarity rating: 5

This book is very clear. Despite covering a relatively technical topic and 'soft science' it is clear and I don't think any college student would have trouble understanding the material and learning objectives.

Consistency rating: 5

No concerns about the consistency of this book. There are many technical components to FA's, and this book seems to cover them without bias.

Modularity rating: 4

The book could be used in modules, however there wouldn't be much application beyond a full class on FA. I suppose if you were talkinga about some of the background theories and wanted an application to FA that would be effectie (behaviorism for example). The introduction would also be relevant in any hands on human servies program. I also don't know if modularity should be a goal for this text.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

No concerns, seems great.

Interface rating: 3

I got lost a little bit here. This feature may exist and I don't know how to use it, but I didn't understand the role of the fillable discussion forums or quizzes. Is there an easy way to share this with other students or for instructors to get the responses? I suppose someone could print pages or screen shot them, but this wasn't clear to me.
The embedded hyper links to both the assignments and then the content area's were slick though. So the lower score may be my fault for not understand the instructor interface that well.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No errors noticed.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

Cultural was addressed as something to be aware of, however there were minimal applications to how cultural differences may actually affect the FA results themselves. A concrete example of "In hispanic culture, this behavior would imply a deficit in a certain area, whereas in African-American culture it would not".

Comments

Overall seemed great! I would use it in my class for sure. I may actually request to teach a FA class just so I can use it