title: Functional analyses and treatment of precursor behavior.
abstract: Functional analysis has been demonstrated to be an effective method to identify environmental variables that maintain problem behavior. However, there are cases when conducting functional analyses of severe problem behavior may be contraindicated. The current study applied functional analysis procedures to a class of behavior that preceded severe problem behavior (precursor behavior) and evaluated treatments based on the outcomes of the functional analyses of precursor behavior. Responding for all participants was differentiated during the functional analyses, and individualized treatments eliminated precursor behavior. These results suggest that functional analysis of precursor behavior may offer an alternative, indirect method to assess the operant function of severe problem behavior.
authors.affiliation: University of Nevada, Reno, USA.
authors.forename: Adel C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Najdowski
authors.forename: Michele D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: Carrie L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Ellsworth
authors.forename: Alicia N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: MacAleese
authors.forename: Jackie M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cleveland
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D020208:Brain Injury, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003147:Communication Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003887:Desensitization, Psychologic; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D004495:Education of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities; D005639:Frustration; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D014040:Token Economy