Effects of a Training Package to Improve the Accuracy of Descriptive Analysis Data Recording

Abstract

Functional behavior assessment is an important precursor to developing interventions to address a problem behavior. Descriptive analysis, a type of functional behavior assessment, is effective in informing intervention design only if the gathered data accurately capture relevant events and behaviors. We investigated a training procedure to improve the accuracy of data recording by direct service personnel. Findings suggest that the training package was effective and acceptable to participants. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Keywords:

• functional assessment
• functional behavior assessment
• performance management
• data collection

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Tiffaney Esposito, Dan Almeida, Brian Liu-Constant, Patricia Finney, Joanne Coughlin, and Stefanie Doucette for their assistance with this research.