Brief Functional Analysis through Physical Activity – Procedures and Implementation

The last three decades saw Functional Analysis become a major diagnostic tool in behavioral assessment, as it provides the building stones for intervention programs. The utility of this method was further enhanced with the induction of Brief Functional Analysis (BFA). This time conserving innovation introduced scripted scenarios in which certain antecedents and consequences are presented while others are controlled. The procedure was soon widely used in clinical, educational, and research settings.

The current presentation describes the implementation of BFA within the context of physical activity in an out-patient clinic that specializes in children. Physical activity encompasses certain elements that can be highly beneficial when conducting behavioral assessment. It is a natural and enjoyable setting for most children; their performance is visible and can be measured easily. Games rely on structure and rules and they inherently present the challenges of stress, competitiveness and endurance. The content of the scripted activities is easily adjusted to create potentially challenging situations, analogous to real life, through antecedent manipulation (e.g., high demand, delay of reinforcement, aversion, wait). Examples of adjusted activities will be provided along with preliminary data that support the utility of physical activity as a suitable context for conducting BFA.