title: A statewide survey assessing practitioners' use and perceived utility of functional assessment.
abstract: The field of applied behavior analysis emphasizes the importance of conducting functional assessment before treatment development for problem behavior. There is, however, little information regarding the extent to which practitioners are using functional assessment in applied settings for individuals with developmental disabilities (DD). The purpose of the current study was to conduct a survey to assess the degree to which various types of functional assessment are implemented in agencies that serve individuals with DD in Massachusetts. Practitioners were asked to indicate their perception about and use of the various categories of functional assessment (e.g., indirect assessment, descriptive assessment, and functional analysis). From the 205 respondents who completed the survey, the most frequently used functional assessment was descriptive assessment. Results indicated that although the majority (67.8%) of practitioners believe functional analysis to be the most informative assessment tool for selecting behavioral treatment, only 34.6% of respondents indicated that they typically use functional analysis to inform the development of a behavior plan.
authors.affiliation: THE NEW ENGLAND CENTER FOR CHILDREN.
authors.forename: Eileen M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Roscoe
authors.affiliation: NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY.
authors.forename: Katurri M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: THE NEW ENGLAND CENTER FOR CHILDREN.
authors.forename: Maureen A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.affiliation: UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS MEDICAL SCHOOL, SHRIVER CENTER.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Farber
authors.affiliation: UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS MEDICAL SCHOOL, SHRIVER CENTER.
authors.forename: William V
authors.initials: WV
authors.lastname: Dube
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: descriptive assessment; functional analysis; functional assessment; indirect assessment; survey