Comparisons of behavioral assessments to identify the function of challenging behavior of individuals with neurodevelopmental and mental disorders

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Rochester. Warner School of Education, 2018.Preferred stimuli identified in the concurrent-operant preference assessment have been demonstrated in Berg et al (2007) to share the same reinforcing value as the behavioral function identified in the functional analysis for challenging behavior and adaptive behavior displayed by individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. However, little is known whether the concurrent-operant preference assessment also holds promise for identifying function(s) of challenging behavior displayed by individuals with dual diagnoses (i.e., neurodevelopmental and mental disorders), for whom conducting a functional analysis might be difficult. Thus, the present research study attempts to examine whether (a) concurrent-operant preference assessment can be used as an alternative assessment to identify function(s) of challenging behavior displayed by individuals with dual diagnoses; and whether (b) challenging behavior and adaptive behavior serve the same functional response class. Four participants who had dual diagnoses and displayed multiple topographies of challenging behavior were recruited for the study. The study (a) modified the standard concurrent-operant preference assessment by replacing the actual items with pictures representing the actual items, and (b) used triangulation mixed research method design to compare the results derived from the pictorial concurrent-operant preference assessment and the results from the functional behavioral assessment. The study positively demonstrated that for all four participants, there was a correspondence between the results of the pictorial concurrent-operant preference assessment and functional behavior assessment. The study also showed that challenging behavior and adaptive behavior served to produce the same functional response class for all four participants. The significance and future directions were discussed in the last chapter of the study