Functional Assessment Interviewing
Skill (list, description, examples, nonexamples)	Measurement
1/2. Before the interview: [1] Conduct a record review and [2] obtain information regarding any diagnoses and medical conditions/concerns - Description – Obtain any reports or records available such as IEP plans, previous evaluations, relevant medical reports. Verify the information during the interview, as well. - Example – Prior to the interview, the behavior analyst asks, “Is there anything such as school or medical reports and records that you would feel comfortable giving me a copy of prior to our interview so that I can learn some additional information ahead of time?” - Nonexample – The interviewer does not ask the caregiver for any medical or diagnostic information.	Skill 1 (+) stated they would conduct a record review prior to the interview (–) did not ask or asked after the interview started Skill 2 (+) inquired about both diagnostic and medical information (–) did not inquire about both
3. Ask about general communication skills - Description – Ask the caregiver to give you a description of the individual’s communication skills in terms of which method they use and how well they currently communicate - Example – The behavior analyst asks, “Can you tell me a little bit about how your son currently communicates?” and then asks follow-up questions regarding the modality of communication and how well the son is able to use it. - Nonexample – The interviewer asks how well the son can talk and gets information about his vocal verbal behavior; however, the interviewer does not gain information about the son’s use of PECS and sign language which he is currently also using.	(+) asked about child’s communication skills (–) did not ask about child’s communication skills
4. Ask about reinforcers/preferences - Description – Ask the caregiver about what the individual likes/prefers - Example – The behavior analyst asks, “Can you tell me some things that your stepdaughter likes to do or play with?” - Nonexample – The interviewer does not obtain any information about preferences during the interview and decides to just figure it out after he meets the child.	(+) asked about child’s preferences (–) did not ask about child’s preferences
5. Ask for a general description of the challenging behaviors - Description – The behavior analyst asks the caregiver to describe the problem/reason for seeking help using an open-ended question - Example – The interviewer asks, “Can you tell me a little bit about some of the behaviors that you’re hoping to decrease with our services?” - Nonexample – The interviewer assumes that the child must engage in aggression and self-injury, because many of their previous clients engaged in severe challenging behavior, and asks the parents, “What types of aggression and self-injury does your daughter engage in?”	(+) asked the caregiver for a general description/list of the challenging behaviors that they are concerned about (–) did not ask the caregiver for a general description/list of the challenging behaviors that they are concerned about
6. Prioritize behaviors to target - Description – The interviewer summarizes the challenging behaviors listed by the client and uses an open-ended question to ask which is most important and should be addressed first - Example – The interviewer says, “So you mentioned head hitting, screaming, and throwing objects. Which of these behaviors is the most important and should be addressed first?” - Nonexample – The interviewer assumes that head hitting would be the most important behavior to target without knowing that the intensity of the behavior is very low and that it is a very infrequent behavior. Had they asked the parent to prioritize behaviors, they would have learned that screaming is the most frequent and is impacting the son’s ability to access general education services.	(+) asked the caregiver to state which concern(s) is their top priority to target (–) did not ask the caregiver to state which concern(s) is their top priority to target
7. Ask for specification of problem behaviors - Description – The therapist asks the client to describe specific behaviors involved in the identified problem using open-ended questions. - Example – If the father says that his daughter engages in tantrums, the therapist asks, ”Can you describe what is looks like when she has a tantrum? For example, are there certain behaviors that she engages in during a tantrum?” - Nonexample – The father says that his daughter engages in aggression, and the interviewer does not ask clarifying questions. The interviewer assumes that the father meant physical aggression, while the father actually meant verbal aggression.	(+) asked the caregiver to further define/describe behaviors of concern (–) did not ask the caregiver to further define/describe behaviors of concern
8. Ask about the onset of the behavior - Description – Ask about when the problem started using open-ended questions and if there were any events that occurred around the same time - Example – The interviewer asks, “When did Diego first start pinching you? Can you tell me of any other changes in his life or events that happened around the same time?” It is then revealed that Diego began pinching at the same time as he got a new teacher at school. It is important to note that this does not mean they are necessarily related to one another, but it might be a factor that should be considered. - Nonexample – The interviewer does not ask any questions related to when the behavior was first observed.	(+) asked the caregiver when the behavior(s) first started and/or if there were any events that occurred around the same time (–) did not ask the caregiver about the onset as described above
9. Asks about dimensions - Description – ask about how often the behavior happens, how long it lasts, the intensity of the behavior, and about other measurable dimensions using open-ended questions - Example – The interviewer asks questions such as, “Can you describe how often tantrums usually occur?” “About how long do they last?” “Can you describe the intensity of the tantrums?” - Nonexample – The interviewer does not ask any questions regarding how often behaviors occur, how long they last, etc. The interviewer only wants to know which behaviors occur without specific details about the dimensions.	(+) asked the caregiver questions regarding the measurable dimension of the behavior (e.g., duration, frequency, intensity) (–) did not ask the caregiver any questions regarding measurable dimensions
10/11. Ask about antecedents and consequences - Description – Ask the interviewee to describe events happening [10] just before and [11] right after the problem behavior using open-ended questions. Also, can ask under what conditions the problem does not occur. - Example – “Can you tell me what typically happens right before your stepdaughter begins to cry?” and “When does the behavior typically not occur or is the least likely to occur?” - Example – “Can you tell me what typically happens right after they drop to the ground? How do people in her life typically react?” - Nonexample – The interviewer only asks about when the behavior is most likely to occur but does not ask questions about what the behavior is least likely to occur. - Nonexample – The interviewer only asks, “Do you think the function is attention or escape?” instead of asking what specifically happens after the behavior	Skill 10 (+) asked questions regarding what happens prior to the behavior occurring or what seems to trigger it (–) did not ask the caregiver for this information Skill 11 (+) asked questions regarding what happens following the behavior occurring or how people tend to react afterwards (–) did not ask the caregiver for this information
12. Ask about previous and current interventions attempted to address the behaviors - Description – Ask the interviewee to describe what has been previously tried to address the behaviors, as well as any current interventions in place - Example – “How has your school or home BCBA tried to address treating self-injury in the past? What are the approaches they’re currently trying?” - Nonexample – The interviewer does not assess which procedures have been previously tried, because they figure they already know which approach they want to use.	(+) asked the caregiver questions regarding the previous/current interventions (–) did not ask the caregiver any questions regarding previous/ current interventions
13/14. Ask why the caregiver thinks the individual is engaging in the behavior, as well as whether there might be a sensory/self-stimulatory function - Description – Ask the interviewee to explain why they think the behavior might be occurring and if it might have a sensory/automatic component - Example – “Can you tell me why you think the behavior is happening? What might he be trying to tell you when he’s having a tantrum?” followed up with “Do you think any part of why he’s having tantrums might be because of sensory reasons, or in other words, the way it makes him feel?” - Nonexample – The interviewer makes their own conclusions about why the behavior is occurring without asking for the parent’s input.	Skill 13 (+) asked the caregiver to describe why they think the behavior is occurring (–) did not ask any questions related to why the caregiver thinks the behavior is occurring Skill 14 (+) inquired about a possible sensory function (–) did not inquire
15. Ask about specific goals for services - Description – Use open-ended questions to obtain information regarding the caregiver’s goals for services. - Example – The interviewer asks, ”Can you tell me what your primary goals are for us to accomplish together for your son?” - Nonexample – The interviewer makes assumptions about the caregiver’s goals based on the conversation during the interview and decides to create the goals on her own.	(+) asked the caregiver to specify what their goals are for services (–) did not ask the caregiver about their specific goals for services
16. Refrain from proposing specific treatment options until your full assessment is complete - Description – Do not list any specific interventions that you might want to try prior to finishing your assessment. - Example – At the end of the interview, the behavior analyst says, “Once I finish the assessment, we can discuss some possible treatment options that we might want to use to address the concern of self-injury” - Nonexample – The interviewer says that using time out might be a good option to address the child’s reported attention-seeking behavior even before they do any direct observation or descriptive assessment. It later turns out that the behavior is not maintained by attention after all.	(+) did not propose any specific treatment options during the interview, with the exception of functional communication training (FCT) (–) proposed one or more potential treatment options during the interview aside from FCT