The Effects of Team-Based Functional Assessment on the Behavior of Students in Classroom Settings

We examined the impact of functional assessment interventions on both the appropriate and challenging behaviors of groups of students within preschool classrooms for children with special needs and for children at risk. We also examined the effectiveness of a training model to teach school-based teams to conduct functional assessment. The results indicated that school-based teams were able to conduct functional assessment during intervention and maintained functional assessment skills during follow-up observations. In addition, the functional assessment procedures resulted in a decrease in challenging behavior and nonengagement and an increase in active engagement and peer interaction for groups of students within classroom settings. The levels of appropriate and challenging behavior observed during intervention and maintenance within at-risk and special education classrooms were similar to those observed in early childhood control classrooms.