Self-Determination and Student Involvement in Functional Assessment: Innovative Practices

Abstract

The fundamental feature that distinguishes positive behavior support (PBS) from previous generations of applied behavior analysis is its focus on the remediation of deficient contexts that are determined to be the source of the problem. Determining this source involves conducting a functional assessment. This innovative practices article presents the argument that if professionals are to be successfully address issues pertaining to the context of problem behaviors, they must incorporate the perspectives and knowledge of people receiving behavioral supports into the functional assessment process. The authors report the results of a pilot examination of a person-guided functional assessment and present ideas for enhancing consumer involvement in the functional assessment process.