Examining patterns suggestive of acquisition during functional analyses: A consecutive controlled series of 116 cases

Fernandez and team looked back at 116 completed functional analyses. They hunted for any sign that the client learned a new behavior during the test.

They checked each standard condition: attention, escape, tangible, and alone. If response forms popped up late and kept growing, they called it an acquisition pattern.

Acquisition showed up in only a small slice of sessions. Tangible led at 13.7 %, attention followed at 8.8 %, and escape was lower at 2.1 %.

The alone condition almost never looked like learning was happening. In short, brief FAs rarely teach new problem behavior.

Hernández et al. (2018) watched escape sessions shrink in form count while one topography stayed strong. Fernandez saw the same thing: escape rarely creates new forms.

Hattier et al. (2011) found 16.9 % of cases showed multiple control, a different kind of pattern. Their big sample and Fernandez’s both say most FAs stay clean—only a minority show odd curves.

DeRoma et al. (2004) proved teacher attention really flows to problem behavior in preschool. Fernandez now shows that same attention condition is also the second most likely to look like acquisition, so keep an eye on it.

You can keep running brief FAs without fear. Just watch the tangible and attention curves a little closer. If the line climbs late and hard, pause and re-check—otherwise you’re good to go.