Questions about behavioral function (QABF): a behavioral checklist for functional assessment of aberrant behavior

Functional assessment is a method to identify the relationships between a b ehavior of interest and an individual's environment. Traditional methods fo r functional assessment have relied on experimental techniques in which ana log sessions are designed to replicate conditions in the individual's envir onment. However, these techniques can be time-consuming, require advanced t raining, and rely on the availability of extensive resources in the individ ual's setting. Development of a brief functional assessment checklist would circumvent these difficulties and meet clinical needs for efficient assess ment methods. The current study provides psychometric data for the Question s About Behavioral Function. These data include test-retest, inter-rater, a nd internal consistency. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved .