Definition
Behavioral assessment is the process of objectively identifying and evaluating units of response (behaviors) and related controlling environmental and organismic variables so that specific behaviors can be better understood and changed (Cooper et al. 2020; Nelson and Hayes 1979). It is pragmatic in nature, in that behavioral assessment seeks to determine and describe underlying functional relationships between behavior and the person in their environment and then uses that understanding to facilitate the development of new, more adaptive functional responses. By emphasizing objective identification and measurement of environmental and organismic-dependent variables that may influence behavior, behavioral assessment ultimately serves treatment planning and outcome evaluation.
Historical Background
Behavioral assessment has a long past but a relatively short history. With the advent of behavioral approaches to understanding and treating individuals with varying problems (e.g.,...
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References and Reading
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Powers, M.D. (2020). Behavioral Assessment. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_1012-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_1012-3
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