Toward the Development of a Functional Analysis Risk Assessment Decision Tool

Area of Science:

• Applied Behavior Analysis
• Clinical Psychology
• Risk Management

Background:

• Risk-benefit analysis is crucial for selecting client assessment and treatment options.
• Safety recommendations for functional analyses (FAs) are inconsistently reported, potentially leading to misjudged risks.
• Practitioners require clear guidance on weighing the risks and benefits of FAs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the perceived need for a risk assessment tool for functional analyses (FAs).
• To develop and evaluate an interactive risk assessment tool for FAs.
• To provide practitioners with resources for safer and more effective FA implementation.

Main Methods:

• Surveyed 664 Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and BCBA-Doctors (BCBA-Ds) on the need for an FA risk assessment tool.
• Developed an interactive risk assessment tool with risk mitigation and validity suggestions.
• An expert panel of 10 BCBA-Ds reviewed the developed tool.

Main Results:

• 96.2% of surveyed behavior analysts reported a need for an FA risk assessment tool.
• The developed tool was perceived as useful for assessing and mitigating FA risks.
• Expert reviewers found the tool valuable as an instructional and decision-making support resource.

Conclusions:

• A significant majority of behavior analysts recognize the need for a dedicated FA risk assessment tool.
• The developed tool can aid practitioners in making informed decisions regarding FA implementation.
• The tool serves as a valuable educational resource for learning and applying FA risk-benefit analysis.