How Maintaining Variables Are Defined and Established in Functional Assessment

In functional assessment, challenging behavior is categorized by the purpose that it serves for the individual. This is accomplished by assessing the environmental variables that precede (antecedents) and follow (consequences) the occurrence of challenging behavior. Functions are then established by identifying systematic behavior-environment relations. The purpose of the current chapter is to describe the ways in which functions of challenging behavior are identified during the assessment process. We begin by providing a brief overview of various functional-assessment strategies. Next, we describe common functions of challenging behavior and present them according to their corresponding category of reinforcement (i.e., social-positive, social-negative, and automatic reinforcement). Finally, we discuss the clinical implications of functional assessment in terms of treatment utility.