1

Running head: FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT BASED INTERVENTION

Functional Assessment Based Intervention

Julia Hart
The George Washington University

FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT BASED INTERVENTION

Functional Assessment Based Intervention

Annie is a 42-month-old girl who has been identified as having attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a language disorder, as well as a complicated feeding and
medical history. Annie lives with her mother and older brother, age 7. Annie attends nursery
school five mornings a week. She is in an inclusion classroom, in which she is one of three
children with special needs. There are 14 children in total in her class. The class has two
teachers and an aide for another child. Through her Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
and private therapists, Annie receives 2 h of speech and language therapy each week.
Annies teachers reported that she frequently leaves the classroom during their morning
free play period. This choice time occurs between arrival at approximately 8:30 am until
approximately 9:30 am, with some variation on certain days. During this time children are free
to complete a daily art project, build with blocks, engage in pretend play in the dramatic play
corner, play in the sand or water table, draw at the writing table, read books in the loft, or paint at
the easel. Specific activities may change from day to day, but the general categories remain
consistent. The classroom door is left open during this time because children need to have access
to their cubbies, which are in the hallway, access to the bathroom, which is down the hall, and
also because children arrive over the course of the morning as their parents bring them to school.
From 8:30 until approximately 9:00 there is a teacher stationed in the hallway to assist children
as they arrive and monitor bathroom activity. In the hallway near the bathroom, there are several
interesting items and areas for children to play and use while they are with their class waiting to
use the bathroom or when they need a break from the classroom. These items include a light
table, a pretend phone booth, a trampoline, a spinning chair, and a water fountain. Annies
teachers reported that they frequently take Annie to this hallway area when she needs a break

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from circle time or other structured whole-class activities. They said that Annie loves to jump
and hang on the trampoline, pretend to call mama on the phone, and play with the bracelets
and gems on the light table. Annie is not yet toilet trained, though her teachers report that she
goes through the motions without any product while in the bathroom. She has not yet
correctly identified the need to urinate before it happens. An additional distraction for Annie is
the schools dog, who is often found in the hallway going the opposite direction from the
bathroom, as is the fish tank. Annie loves the dog, and frequently follows the dog if it goes
through the classroom to access the hallway. There is also a service dog for a child in Annies
class that Annie has followed out of the room in the past.
The children in Annies class are given a great deal of autonomy during the free play
period. While the teachers encourage the children to complete an art project each day, they are
allowed to move about the room and select their activities freely during the morning. Children in
the class are asked to tell a teacher when they are leaving the room to use the toilet, wash their
hands, jump on the trampoline, or get a drink of water but are allowed to leave the room to put
items in the cubby without permission because the cubbies are very close to the classroom door.
Annies cubby is the closest to the door, and she can easily be viewed at her cubby from inside
the classroom.
Behavior
The target behavior for this behavioral assessment and intervention is elopement during
choice time and its associated transitions (clean up, line up). Elopement refers to leaving the
classroom without permission from the teacher. Examples of elopement include getting a drink
of water, jumping on the trampoline, going into the bathroom, entering another room, following
the dog down the hall, and entering the phone booth, all without a teachers knowledge or

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permission. Non-examples of elopement include putting items into her cubby, going with the
whole class to an activity, leaving the room with an adult (teacher/therapist), leaving the room
after telling an adult, or remaining in the classroom.
Elopement is a behavior of concern in a variety of settings. Parents and teachers need to
know the whereabouts of a child for safety and monitoring purposes. Safety is especially
important for a child with ADHD who may be impulsive and engage in risk-taking behavior.
Annie has attempted to leave the building in the past, which is one reason this behavior must be
addressed.
Functional Behavior Assessment
Data collected for this report included classroom observations of Annie and an interview
with her teachers. To analyze Annies behavior at school, observations were conducted over five
mornings. Each observation period ranged from 45-60 min. During the observations antecedent,
behavior, and consequence data were recorded for each instance of elopement meeting the
behavioral definition. Instances of elopement not occurring during choice-play time were not
recorded, nor were any instances in which Annie asked to leave the classroom. Annies teachers
were interviewed (see questions in Appendix A) to gain their perspective into Annies behavior
and general classroom procedures.
FBA Data and Interpretations
The data collected from the observations were analyzed and the function of each instance
of elopement was considered. Each example of elopement was plotted on the Function Matrix
(Umbreit, Ferror, Liaupsin, & Lane, 2007). The matrix (Figure 1) allows each example to be
categorized by the function of the behavior. There are six possible functions for any behavior:

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access to attention, escape from attention, access to tangibles/activities, escape from

tangibles/activities, access to sensory stimulation, or escape from sensory stimulation.
During the interview, Annies teachers suggested several possible theories as to why
Annie leaves the classroom. First, they explained that the hallway is fun and that lots of children
ask for the opportunity to play with the light table or jump on the trampoline. They also
explained that Annie is used to having time to explore the building when she comes to church
with her mother on the weekends. Her mother has told them that Annie tends to wander during
church and Sunday school. The teachers also stated that sometimes Annie does have a valid
reason for leaving the room, such as needing to wash paint off her hands, but they believe it is
difficult for Annie to use language to express this need.
Many of Annies elopements occurred following a forced cough. In fact, with the
exception of the incidents on the first day of observation, Annie coughed before every
elopement. The first observation day was following a 7 day break from school due to illness, a
snow day, and a holiday weekend, so Annies behavior that day may not have been typical.
Annies coughing suggests that she planned to leave the room but did not have the appropriate
skills to ask for permission. Her teachers believed that she associates coughing with drinking
water (at the water fountain), and therefore, her cough is a means of announcing her intention.
Every instance of elopement involved access to a desired activity (drinking water, playing
at the light table, talking on the phone, petting the dog). While Annie was seeking access to
activities by eloping from the classroom, she was, by nature of elopement, escaping the demands
of the classroom. Because Annie literally escaped from the classroom during each incident of
elopement, the reasons for the escape must be considered. It is likely that Annie has difficulty
deciding which classroom activity to participate in and that following teacher directions related

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to being line leader or cleaning up is stressful for Annie. Because Annie is distractible and
impulsive, due to ADHD, she struggles with regulation and following through with tasks. Annie
also lacks some of the social language skills that would allow her to successfully play with her
peers.
Statement of Function
When Annie is expected to stay in the classroom and engage in undirected play or follow
teacher directions, Annie struggles to sustain age-appropriate play patterns and meet adult
expectations, so she leaves the classroom to escape the demands of classroom play and routines.
Once she leaves the classroom, Annie has access to activities that are different from those in her
classroom and therefore exciting. Annie leaves to classroom to avoid activities that are difficult
for her and to access desired activities in the hallway. Additionally, being in the hallway gives
Annie a break from the expectations of the classroom, such as cleaning up or doing a job.
Behavior Intervention Plan
Replacement Behavior
Annie will use picture symbols or words to request access to an activity outside the
classroom. Annies teachers, in an interview, explained that it is acceptable for Annie to have
access to desired hallway activities; they just need to know where she is. This intervention will
involve utilizing a modified version of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS).
PECS is a form of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) that is typically used
with children with autism or other severe social communication deficits (Charlop-Christy &
Jones, 2006). While Annie does not have autism, she does have a communication delay, so this
intervention will be appropriate for her. According to Walker and Snell (2013), Given the
communicative function of challenging behavior, interventions that target communication skill

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development are likely to result in the reduction of challenging behavior in children with
disabilities (p. 117). Walker and Snells (2013) review of literature surrounding AAC and
challenging behaviors found that communication interventions generally produced positive
effects.
In a review of the literature surrounding elopement, Pennington, Strange, Stenhoff,
Delano, and Ferguson (2012) found that functional communication training (FCT) is a common
intervention for children who flee their classrooms. FCT involves teaching the child to use
communication in lieu of a maladaptive behavior and is rooted in the theory that the behavior has
a communicative function (Halle, Ostrosky, & Hemmeter, 2006). Functional communication
training, like PECS, introduces children to using mands, or requests for reinforcers. In their
study of functional communication interventions for disruptive behaviors, Carr and Durand
(1985) found that Behavior problems can be reduced by teaching children communicative
phrases that are effective in altering the stimulus conditions that control the problems (p. 124).
The authors relate their findings to elopement by writing, we may teach those children whose
misbehavior is construed as communicating a nonverbal request to escape, a verbal means for
obtaining assistance (p. 125). A study by Lambert, Bloom, and Irvin (2012) involved using
FCT as an intervention following functional behavior analysis of three students in a special
education classroom. The authors found that the teacher in the classroom had success in
reducing problem behaviors and increasing communication of the students using PECS as the
communicative method of FCT.
Intervention Procedure
To teach Annie to request access to the hallway her teachers will create a picture
communication board for her. The teachers will take photographs of desired hallway activities,

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such as the water fountain, phone booth, and trampoline. These pictures will be printed in a
small size (approximately 3 square inches), laminated, and fastened to the communication board
using Velcro. The communication board will have a picture of Annie and have space for the
three pictures and at least one more image to be added later (if needed). The board will be
mounted next to the classroom door using Velcro, so that it can be removed when Annie does not
have the option to leave the classroom. Because Annie only elopes from her classroom, it will
not be necessary to have pictures available in other school settings. Annies teachers will be
instructed in how to use the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) through reading
and direct training. They will be taught the basics of PECS and practice before implementing the
plan with Annie. Once Annies teachers are comfortable with PECS, it will be introduced to
Annie.
Annies teachers will introduce the pictures to her at the beginning of her school day.
They will point to each photo and name the activity/item pictured. Annie will be shown where
the pictures will hang by the door. The first time that Annie attempts to leave the classroom, a
teacher will block Annie and show her the pictures. The teacher will ask, What do you want?
Annie will be prompted, I want If she points to a picture, the teacher will remove it and have
Annie hand it to her. Once Annie hands the photo, she will be allowed access to the hallway.
The teacher will accompany Annie down the hall and ensure that she only accesses the requested
item. If Annie attempts to access an additional activity, the teacher will guide her back to the
classroom and ask, what do you want? If Annie identifies another activity, she will be allowed
to access to it. Annies teachers will continue to monitor her access to the hallway to ensure that
she only receives reinforcement (access to the hallway) after using language or a picture to
request it.

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Generalization and Maintenance Procedures

At the start of the intervention, only three highly preferred pictures will be included on
Annies communication board. There are more than three activities that Annie enjoys in the
hallway. If she continues to access (or attempt to access) these activities without using language,
her teachers will create additional photos for her board. To measure generalization, the data
recording sheet (Appendix B) allows the observer to measure instances of elopement, PECS
requests to leave the room, and verbal requests to leave the room. When verbal requests
outnumber PECS requests and elopement combined, generalization will have been achieved.
Once generalization has been achieved, that is once the frequency of verbal requests to
leave the room is greater than the frequency of both PECS requests and elopement combined,
Annies teachers will begin to fade the intervention. To begin fading the intervention, Annies
teachers will remove one symbol from the communication board to see if Annie will still
verbally request access to that activity. For example, will Annie still use language to request the
water fountain after the water fountain picture is removed from her communication board? If
Annie successfully requests the missing activity, the teachers may then remove another picture
the following week. Fading will continue along this path until all pictures are removed from
Annies board. If Annie begins to elope following the removal of a photo, the photos will be
reintroduced for several weeks or until the teachers feel that they can attempt to remove them
again.
Because Annie only elopes during classroom choice time, generalization to other settings
does not need to be considered. Generalization of the replacement behavior, producing requests,
should be considered, but it need not involve PECS. Annies teacher, in an interview, reported
that she does make requests in some situations, such as asking for foods at snack time. Because

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the intervention coincides with ongoing speech and language therapy for her language delays, it
is likely that Annies language production will continue to increase in all settings.
Data Collection
Data regarding Annies elopement will be collected daily. A teacher or outside observer
will note the number of requests to leave the room both verbally and with PECS as well as the
instances of elopement. Additionally, the total number of hallway visits will be calculated to see
if there is a downward trend in frequency of leaving the classroom over time. These data will be
collected using the recording sheet in Appendix B. Data will be graphed to determine the
efficacy of the intervention, whether the frequency of elopement instances decrease while
frequency of requests increase. In addition, the rate of overall trips to the hallway per day will be
graphed to see if there is a decrease as the intervention proceeds.
Social Validity
To assess the social validity of the intervention, Annies teachers will be interviewed.
The teachers will be asked about the severity of the target behavior (is this a behavior that needs
to be addressed?), the feasibility of the intervention (can you do this in your classroom?),
their thoughts about its potential (do you think this will help?), and if the intervention will
make Annie stand out unnecessarily (Will this isolate Annie from her peers?). If Annies
teachers have doubts about the intervention, it should be modified, so that they will be willing
and able to perform their roles.
After implementation, the teachers will again be interviewed as to their thoughts
regarding the success of the intervention and the ease of implementation. This way, the
interventions potential for use with other students can be considered.

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Treatment Integrity
To measure the consistency with which the intervention is implemented, treatment
integrity data will be collected three times each week. An outside observer will collect the data
using the Treatment Fidelity Checklist (Appendix C). The observer will ensure that all
components of the intervention are being implemented accurately. Treatment integrity data will
be graphed following the thrice-weekly observations. If the intervention is not being
implemented consistently as written, the observer will interview Annies teachers to discover
what is not working or if additional support is needed. The observer will work with the teachers
to alter the intervention plan so that the teachers can implement it optimally. A suitable plan
should be created in conjunction with the teachers.
Behavior Intervention Data and Interpretations
Behavior Data
Baseline data were collected using the recording sheet (Appendix B) for five days.
Intervention data were collected using the same form for ten days as Annies teachers
implemented the BIP. Following implementation, maintenance data were collected for five days.
These data are graphed in Figure 2. The data reflect a decrease in level of elopement. Prior to
intervention, Annie eloped several times an hour. During the intervention and maintenance
phases, Annie rarely eloped. The baseline data reflected that Annie rarely requested to leave the
room prior to intervention. Even after the intervention was faded, during the maintenance phase,
Annie continued to ask to leave the classroom. During intervention, the frequency of requesting
using PECS increased in level. In addition, the data reflected an increase in trend for the
frequency of verbal requests to leave the room. These preliminary data reflected a consistent total
of hallway trips for Annie. That is, the intervention did not result in lowered classroom exits.

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The total number of trips outside the classroom remained fairly constant, with only a slight
downward trend.
Treatment Fidelity Data
Treatment fidelity data were collected three times per week during intervention. Across
the intervention, treatment fidelity data ranged from 67% to 100%. The average procedural
fidelity was 92%. The component that was least consistently implemented was blocking exit
from the room if Annie did not request to leave, that is, she was able to elope on several
occasions. A few times, Annie also accessed more than just the requested activity. When Annie
asked for water, she also jumped on the trampoline, even though she had not requested jumping.
Interpretations
The data reflected that the behavior plan for Annie was successful. Instances of the target
behavior decreased while instances of the replacement behavior increased. The initial data reflect
a very slight decrease in the overall number of times Annie left the room each morning, but more
data are necessary to draw any conclusions on this matter. Suggestions to further decrease
instances of leaving the room are given in the coming section. Treatment fidelity data reflect that
the intervention was implemented with adequate consistency, demonstrating that changes in
behavioral data correlate to the behavioral intervention.
Recommendations
To decrease the number of classroom exits, Annie will likely need further intervention.
The current intervention did not address reducing the frequency of trips to the hallway, as
reduction in the behavior was not a main priority for her teachers. Now that the safety concern
has been addressed, that is, now that Annie consistently tells her teachers where she is going,
additional skills can be taught. To increase the likelihood that Annie will remain in the

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classroom, it is suggested that her teachers introduce novel toys and new choice time activities
on a regular basis. Because Annie has ADHD, novel activities will excite her and entice her to
participate for longer periods of time than she would spend on familiar activities. It is also
recommended that some hallway distractions be removed or brought into the classroom so that
Annie will not visit the hallway seeking these activities. Because novelty will not always be
possible, Annie can also be taught new play skills. Teacher modeling of play behaviors is one
way that play skills can be taught. For example, if Annie is in the block area, her teacher can sit
with Annie and demonstrate forming a square with the blocks and putting a toy animal inside.
The teacher can label the creation a zoo. Annie can be encouraged to copy this structure with a
different animal.
As noted above, Annie only engages in elopement during choice time in her classroom,
so she does not need to learn to request an exit from other activities. Generalization of the
replacement behavior, making requests, can still be achieved across settings. While her teachers
do not need to create PECS symbols for all desired objects, Annie should be prompted to use
language throughout the school day. For example, during snack time, if Annies plate is empty, a
teacher can prompt her to say I want more. If Annie is approaching the writing table, the
teacher can prompt her to use language when selecting a paper by asking, what color do you
want? Annie should be prompted to answer, I want ______. Annies mother can employ
similar techniques at home. Once Annie masters saying I want to make requests, other scripts
can be introduced. For example, as Annie begins to use the toilet, she should be prompted to say,
I need potty.

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Reflection
Completing this project was very informative. I enjoyed tracking Annies behavior and
trying to find the cause of her elopement. Because I actually implemented the BIP in my
classroom with Annie, I was able to experience the results in real life. I was not able to track my
data as thoroughly as required for this assignment, because I did not have an outside observer
available. I was, however, able to see distinct changes in the frequency of the target behavior
following implementation of the intervention. During implementation, we actually experienced
an entire week in which Annie did not leave the classroom once. The week included a change in
our classrooms dramatic play center, a novel arrangement. Coincidentally, during the same
week, several of Annies preferred hallway activities were unavailable. The trampoline broke
and the light table was moved into another classroom. The following week, under unchanged
conditions, Annie began to leave the classroom again, but with less frequency than before the
intervention was implemented. Seeing the effect of the intervention so clearly demonstrated that
behavior plans can be very effective tools. Ideally, I would have completed the intervention
exactly as written in this paper, but I quickly found that not to be possible in a class with 14
students. While we were able to greatly reduce the frequency of elopement, it is not always
possible to catch Annie before she leaves the room. If my co-teacher or I were to focus all our
attention on Annie each morning to implement this behavior plan with 100% treatment fidelity,
our other students would not get the attention they need. I can imagine this process requiring an
additional adult, especially for a behavior that occurs with more frequency than Annies
elopement. Overall, I found the FABI process helpful and would consider conducting functional
behavior assessments in the future if I have a student with challenging behaviors.

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References
Carr, E. G. & Durand, V. M. (1985). Reducing behavior problems through functional
communication training. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 18, 111-126.
Charlop-Christy, M. H. & Jones, C. (2006). The picture exchange communication system:
Nonverbal communication program for children with autism spectrum disorders. In
McCauley, R. J. & Fey, M. E. (Eds.), Treatment of language disorders in children.
Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brooks Publishing Co.
Halle, J. W., Ostrosky, M. M., & Hemmeter, M. L. (2006). Functional communication training:
A strategy for ameliorating challenging behavior. In McCauley, R. J. & Fey, M. E.
(Eds.), Treatment of language disorders in children. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brooks
Publishing Co.
Lambert, J. M, Bloom, S. E., & Irvin, J. (2012). Trial-based functional analysis and functional
communication training in an early childhood classroom. Journal of Applied Behavior
Analysis, 45, 579584.
Pennington, R., Strange, C., Stenhoff, D., Delano, M., & Ferguson, L. (2012). Leave the running
shoes at home: Addressing elopement in the classroom. Beyond Behavior, 21(3), 3-7.
Umbreit, J., Ferror, J., Liaupsin, C. J., & Lane, K. L. (2007). Functional behavior assessment
and function-based intervention: An effective, practical approach. Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Pearson.
Walker, V. L. & Snell, M. E. (2013). Effects of augmentative and alternative communication on
challenging behavior: A meta-analysis. Augmentative and Alternative Communication,
29(2), 117131

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Table 1
Intervention Plan for Annie
1. Annies teachers will create a communication board featuring her most preferred hallway
activities.
2. The board will be mounted next to the classroom door
3. Annies teachers will show her the board and name the pictures it features.
4. If Annie attempts to leave the classroom, a teacher will block her and show her the
communication board. The teacher will ask What do you want? The teacher will prompt
Annie to reply, I want
5. Once Annie makes her request, the teacher will accompany Annie into the hallway to allow
access only to the requested activity.
6. Access to reinforcement (the hallway) will continue to be blocked if Annie does not engage in
the replacement behavior (using words or pictures to request a hallway activity).

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Positive Reinforcement
(get something)
Attention
1.1 teacher went into bathroom
with Annie
1.5- teacher retrieved Annie
2- teacher attempted to redirect,
carries Annie back to class
5.1- follows teacher back to class
Tangibles/Activity 1.1 wash hands
1.2 pet dog, water
1.3 bathroom
1.4 phone
2 water, light table, etc.
3.1 water, trampoline
3.2 water, trampoline
4 light table
5.1 water, phone
5.2 phone
5.3 water
Its a party in the hallway
She leaves the room with a
purpose
Sensory
1.1- wash hands
1.2- pet dog, water
2- water
3.1- water
3.2- water
5.1- water
5.3- water

17

Negative Reinforcement
(get out of something)
5.2- teacher commented on activity

ALL- she is literally getting

out of the classroom (and all
that that entails).
1.5- avoiding being line leader
2- avoiding clean up

Figure 1. Function Matrix for Annies elopements during initial data collection.

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18

Elopement

Verbal Request

PECS Request

10

11

Day

Figure 2. Baseline, Intervention, and Maintenance Data

12

13

14

Total

15

16

17

18

19

20

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Appendix A
Teacher Interview Questions

1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)
6.)
7.)

Is elopement a concern?
When does she elope? Where? In all settings or just one?
How often does this behavior occur at school?
What happens when Annie elopes?
What happens after she leaves the room?
Why do you think Annie leaves the room?
Any additional information about Annie?

Appendix B
Behavior Data Collection Sheet

Child: Annie________
Observer:_______________

Date:___________________
Setting: Classroom choice time

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Start time: ______________

End time:_______________

Target Behavior: The target behavior is elopement during choice time and its associated
transitions (clean up, line up). Elopement refers to leaving the classroom without permission
from the teacher. Examples of elopement include getting a drink of water, jumping on the
trampoline, going into the bathroom, entering another room, following the dog down the hall,
and entering the phone booth, all without a teachers knowledge or permission. Non-examples
of elopement include putting items into her cubby, going with the whole class to an activity,
leaving the room with an adult (teacher/therapist), leaving the room after telling an adult, or
remaining in the classroom.
Replacement Behavior: Annie will request to leave the classroom using words or picture
symbols. Because of her language delays, requesting will involve saying I want ____ or
handing the picture symbol to a teacher, who will prompt her to say I want _____.
Directions: Place a tally mark in the appropriate column for each instance of elopement or
request to leave the classroom
Annie left the room without
asking

Annie asked to leave the

classroom verbally

Annie asked to leave the

room using PECS

Total:

Total:

Total:

Rate
(total/mins):

Rate
(total/mins):

Total # of times Annie

left the classroom
Rate (total/mins)

Appendix C
Treatment Fidelity Checklist
Child: Annie________

Observer:_______________

Rate
(total/mins)
:

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Setting: Classroom choice time

Date:___________________

Target Behavior: Elopement during choice time

Replacement Behavior: Requesting to leave the room
Component
1. Picture Symbols were posted on wall during
start of choice time
2. Responded positively when Annie used
symbol to request to leave the room.
3. Verbal requests to leave the room were
honored.
4. Annie was praised for using her words to
ask.
5. Annie was only allowed access to the
requested activity (i.e. if Annie showed the
trampoline symbol, she was not given access to
the water fountain).
6. Annie was blocked from exiting the room
without asking/using a symbol
Total s
Percentage
(total/6)*100

Performance

Key: = component
performed consistently
throughout the morning
= component not
performed consistently
that morning