An examination of functional behavior assessment in public school settings: Collaborative teams, experts, and methodology

Recent literature regarding functional behavior assessment (FBA) in general education environments has been critical of the paucity of research in such settings, given the complex and often time-consuming nature of FBA. Less complex team-based FBA processes have been suggested as a realistic alternative for general education environments. This study describes an informal team-based FBA process implemented with 39 school-based teams who hypothesized behavioral function for students who had been referred. Data from these meetings was then supplied to three national FBA experts who attempted to generate hypotheses from the same information. Results indicate little agreement between teams and experts or between the experts themselves. Analysis of these data prompt a discussion of the possible effect that information sources, individual perceptions, and personal experiences play in the development of functional hypotheses.