Functional analysis and treatment of inappropriate sexual behavior.

A young learners boy with traumatic brain injury kept touching others in sexual ways. The team ran a 10-minute functional analysis in a clinic room. They gave adult attention each time the behavior happened. They also tested if the behavior dropped when the boy got attention for asking nicely instead.

The study used a single-case design. Sessions alternated between baseline and treatment. Treatment was functional communication training plus extinction. The boy learned to tap an adult’s shoulder and say “excuse me” to get attention.

Inappropriate touching dropped from 8 times per session to zero once the boy could ask for attention. The behavior stayed low for three months. Staff needed only 30 minutes of training to run the plan.

The data showed a clear split between baseline and treatment phases. No new problem behaviors popped up.

Gerow et al. (2020) extends this work. Parents ran a 2-hour brief FA at home for toddlers and got the same clean results. Both studies say you do not need a big clinic to find the function.

Prigge et al. (2013) used the same FA-plus-treatment model inside preschool classrooms. They also saw big drops in problem behavior. The pattern holds across ages and settings.

Rajaraman et al. (2022) updates the idea. Their Practical Functional Assessment still leads to strong treatments even when reliability is shaky. The field is moving faster: assess once, treat, and monitor instead of chasing perfect data.

If a client with TBI shows sexual touching, test for attention first. A short FA and a simple request response can end the behavior in one session. You can teach the replacement in under 15 minutes and train staff on the fly. Use the same steps at home, at school, or in clinic.