Comparing Descriptive Assessments, Traditional, and Trial-Based Functional Analyses in Assessing Challenging Behaviors in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Understanding the function of challenging behaviors is essential for developing effective interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To determine the function of challenging behaviors, descriptive assessment and functional analysis can be used; however, there are some strengths and limitations of these methods. The current study systematically compared three assessment methods: (1) descriptive assessment, (2) traditional functional analysis (TFA), and (3) trial-based functional analysis (TBFA). The descriptive assessment was conducted first and served as an initial hypothesis-generating method regarding the function of challenging behaviors. Six male children with ASD, ages 12 to 16 years, participated in the study. Results showed exact correspondence between both types of FAs and between descriptive assessment and FAs for five of the six participants. The TBFA identified behavioral function with strong agreement to TFA, required 77% less time, and did not necessitate repeated reinforcement of challenging behavior. These findings suggest that both functional analysis (FA) methods are highly consistent with descriptive assessment outcomes and that TBFA offers a practical, efficient alternative for practice settings. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research are discussed.