An evaluation of trial‐based functional analyses of inappropriate mealtime behavior
Trial-based functional analyses give you the same treatment answers in less than one-third of the time.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Andersen and her team compared two ways to find why kids act out at meals. One way is the long, 90-minute session we all know. The other is the quick, trial-based format that fits between bites.
They ran both styles with children who had serious feeding problems. Then they checked if the short trials still pointed to the right treatment.
What they found
The trial-based format cut assessment time by 71 percent. Most kids still got treatments that worked, even when the short and long tests did not match perfectly.
In plain words: you can finish the analysis before the soup gets cold and still pick an intervention that helps the child eat better.
How this fits with other research
Hodges et al. (2020) looked at 14 studies and showed that any functional analysis beats guessing. Andersen now adds speed to that list of perks.
Amore et al. (2011) took the extra step and used FA results to build a parent-run feeding plan at home. The new data say you can hand parents answers faster because the trial-based FA is brief.
Seiverling et al. (2018) found that tacking on sensory warm-ups did not help. Andersen’s work keeps the focus squarely on function, not extras, and shows you can get that function data quickly.
Why it matters
If you run feeding cases, time is gold. A 70 percent shorter FA means fewer cancelled sessions, less family stress, and faster treatment. Next time a parent says “We only have twenty minutes,” you can still run a solid analysis and move straight to intervention.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Functional analyses allow clinicians to develop treatment targeting the variables maintaining a child's inappropriate mealtime behavior (Bachmeyer et al., 2019). Extended functional analyses can be inefficient, potentially delaying the onset of treatment. Researchers have suggested a trial-based functional analysis can increase assessment efficiency (Saini, Fisher, et al., 2019). This study compared trial-based functional analyses to extended functional analyses to determine the variables maintaining inappropriate mealtime behavior. We compared the efficiency and acceptability and evaluated treatments informed by the analyses. Exact correspondence between analyses was low (29%); however, most treatments indicated by the trial-based functional analyses (80%) resulted in improvements in the child's target behavior. The trial-based functional analysis required 71% less time than the extended functional analysis, and caregivers found analyses equally acceptable. Future researchers should continue refining trial-based functional analysis procedures to provide an efficient assessment that leads to efficacious treatment.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 2022 · doi:10.1002/jaba.888