Therapist effects on functional analysis outcomes with young children

Area of Science:

• Behavioral analysis
• Developmental psychology
• Intellectual disabilities research

Background:

• Analog functional analyses (FAs) are standard for assessing problem behavior in individuals with intellectual disabilities.
• These assessments are typically performed by trained clinicians in clinical settings.
• Emerging research indicates that unfamiliar assessors may influence FA outcomes, a factor less studied in young children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of assessor familiarity on functional analyses in young children (ages 2-5).
• To compare FA outcomes when conducted by unfamiliar staff versus parents.

Main Methods:

• Conducted analog functional analyses for five children aged 2-5 years.
• Compared outcomes of FAs performed by unfamiliar clinic staff with those performed by the children's parents.

Main Results:

• Unfamiliar therapists yielded differing outcomes compared to parents.
• Observed issues included child non-response, failure to identify behavioral functions, and reduced response rates.
• These findings highlight potential inaccuracies in FAs conducted by unfamiliar personnel.

Conclusions:

• Assessor familiarity significantly impacts functional analysis outcomes in young children.
• Parental involvement in FAs may be critical for accurate assessment in this age group.
• Further research is needed to understand the implications for clinical practice and intervention development.