Selecting and Defining Target Behaviors

Seeks to discover the function that behavior serves in the person's environmen,t it involves a variety of methods, including: direct and indirect methods direct observation, and tests (direct) interviews, checklists, (indirect)

-screening and general disposition -defining and generally quantifying problems or desired acheivement criteria -pinpointing the target behavior to be treated -monitoring progress -following up

The specific behavior selected for change

Who has the permission, authority, resources, and skills to complete an assessment and intervene with the behavior. know when my knowledge and skills to assess and change behavior is appropriate.

Interviews and checklists because the data obtained from these measures are derived from recollections, reconstructions, or subjectives ratings of events.

Direct observations and tests because the provide information about persons behavior as it occurs(Miltenberger, 2004)

Direct, because they provide objective data on the persons actual performance, not an interpretation, ranking or qualitative index of that performance.

Provides descriptions of specific behaviors (usually in hierarchical order) and the conditions under which each behavior should occur.

Is a form of direct assessment types include anecdotal observation or ABC recording Ecological assessment

Also known as anecdotal observation- a type of direct assessment. *write down everything the client says and does and everything that happens to the client *use homemade shorthand but expand immediately after observation session *record only the actions that are seen or heard not interpretations of those actions * record the temporal sequence of each response of interest by writing down what happened just before and just after it *record the duration of each instance of the client's behavior, Marking beg. and end of each episode *Be aware this method is obtrusive and can have reactivity. be unobtrusive as possible *carry out observation over a period of several days so that the novelty of observation wears off of client and produces a valid picture of day to day behavior

A direct method of assessment which yields a great deal of info.about the person and the various environment in which that person lives and works it recognizes complex interrelationships between an environment and behavior.

The effects of an assessment procedure on the behavior being assessed.

Consumers, clients, and their families, and by others(society) who may be affected by the behavior analysts work.

1) for the primary benefit of others, 2)to simply maintain the status quo 3) because they are of interest to someone in position to change the behaviors

Adjustment is the degree to which the person's repertoire maximizes short and long term reinforcers for that individual and for others, and minimizes short and long term punishers.