Descriptive Assessments

Once challenging behavior is operationally defined and a measurement system is selected, descriptive assessments (Castillo et al., 2018; Lerman & Iwata, 1993; Mace & Lalli, 1991; Martens et al., 2008) may ensue. Descriptive assessments utilize direct observation and data collection of the challenging behavior under naturalistic environmental conditions, thereby addressing the concerns with informant reports of past events.

One assessment tool, the scatterplot (Touchette et al., 1985), can be used to visually depict the occurrence and temporal relationship of the response(s) to various environmental events, illuminating possible patterns not readily observed in a graph or extrapolated from indirect assessments. Additionally, descriptive assessments can be helpful in generating hypotheses regarding the function of challenging behavior (Lerman & Iwata, 1993).

Descriptive assessments provide information about the environmental situations under which challenging behavior does and does not occur, and most importantly, provides crucial information needed to develop socially valid experimental analyses of the putative variables influencing challenging behavior.

Descriptive Assessment Strategies

Within the context of a FBAs, descriptive assessment procedures typically begin by observing problem behavior across different antecedent conditions (Erchul & Martens, 2010) referred to as scatterplot recording (Touchette et al., 1985). Scatterplot recording examines under what conditions challenging behavior is most likely to occur but does not measure the consequences that follow challenging behavior. Thus, hypotheses regarding behavioral function based on scatterplot recordings are limited. Scatterplots may still be informative, however, in determining the optimal time to engage in recording of behavior and its consequences (Eckert et al., 2005).

A-B-C Recording Another way to determine under what conditions challenging behavior is most likely to occur while simultaneously examining consequences is to engage in Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence (A-B-C) recording (Bijou et al., 1968). This type of assessment involves recording the occurrence of problem behavior, under what conditions it occurred (antecedents), and what consequence(s) were provided. This process continues until a clear pattern of antecedents and consequences associated with problem behavior emerges (Lee & Miltenberger, 1997).

Sequential Recordings An alternative and more informative strategy for examining the relationship between behavior and its consequences is to conduct sequential recordings and examine the conditional probability of a consequence given behavior. Prior to collecting these data, specific problem behavior(s) and consequences are defined so that behavior categories (e.g., problem behavior and all other behavior) are mutually exclusive and consequences represent the four broad categories of reinforcement (i.e., social-positive, social-negative, automatic positive or negative). Following data collection, conditional probabilities are calculated and those consequences that have a high probability of following challenging behavior indicate potential functions.