Survey of functional assessment procedures used with individuals who display mental retardation and severe problem behaviors

A survey was conducted to catalog the assessments used by practitioners to evaluate the problem behaviors displayed by clients with mental retardation. Questionnaires were mailed to 300 members of the Psychology Division of the American Association on Mental Retardation. Most practitioners rated functional assessment procedures as extremely or very useful. Indirect and descriptive assessments were considered more useful than experimental manipulation. Findings were discussed with emphasis on the difficulties in conducting functional assessments. These results may be useful for practitioners who are designing behavior training programs and directing further research to improve functional assessment strategies.