Functional Behavior Assessment: What Are We Teaching and What Are We Doing?

The purpose of the current study was to survey university faculty, students, and practitioners within the field to determine what methods of functional analysis (FA) are being taught at the university level, practiced in supervision, and identify which assessment methods are utilized by practitioners.

In total, 174 anonymous responders provided consent to participate in the multi-choice survey. Of those respondents, 30 identified their primary role as university faculty, 36 identified as primarily a student in a behavior analysis program seeking certification, and 108 respondents identified as primarily practitioners.

The results indicate a continued focus on teaching indirect functional assessments, descriptive assessments, and traditional FAs. Universities do not teach, nor provide supervision, on the FA modifications (e.g., precursor FA, trial-based FA, brief FA) that have been researched and developed over the past 30 years. Faculty rely on mostly journal articles to teach the students about FAs, and students are provided with very few opportunities to practice functional behavioral assessments with supervision in school or practicums. Practitioners primarily use indirect and descriptive assessments when conducting functional behavior assessments because those are most familiar.

These results are discussed from the perspective of best practices in teaching skills to university students, for fieldwork supervision, and regarding functional assessment methodology utilized with clients.