Extended alone and ignore assessments: A novel examination of factors that influence determination of an automatic function
Pica or high-rate behavior means plan for extra extended alone or ignore sessions—these signs almost always signal automatic reinforcement.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Bottini and colleagues looked back at 51 clinic files. They counted how many extended alone and ignore sessions each client ran.
They wanted to know what clues told staff the behavior was automatic. They checked pica, high-rate behavior, and session type.
What they found
Clients needed more sessions than the books say. Pica and high-rate behavior, not the session style, pointed to automatic reinforcement.
If a kid ate non-food items or showed lots of responses, the team kept going and landed on an automatic function.
How this fits with other research
Bigby et al. (2009) already showed pica is usually automatic. Bottini adds the rule: when you see pica, plan for extra alone time.
Perez et al. (2015) use a brief-to-extended FA ladder. Bottini’s numbers prove clinics really do run those longer last steps.
Saini et al. (2024) squeeze FA into 10 minutes for food refusal. Bottini says the opposite: for automatic behavior, extend, don’t shorten.
Why it matters
You can stop guessing when to quit an alone or ignore session. Watch for pica or steady high responding. If either shows up, keep the session going until the pattern is clear. This small shift saves re-assessment later and gets you to effective treatment faster.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
AbstractWhen targeted behaviors are hypothesized to be automatically maintained, an extended assessment is often necessary to evaluate the impact of social contingencies and guide intervention selection. Elements that may be related to determining assessment outcome include observed characteristics of the behavior, type of sessions conducted, and the topography of targeted behavior. The present retrospective chart review analyzed these variables in 51 clients with developmental disabilities who were exposed to extended alone or ignore evaluations as part of a clinical admission. Findings indicate clinicians may conduct more sessions during extended assessments than previously reported. Level of behavior and pica as the presenting topography primarily drove determination of an automatic function. Session type and other topographies were not statistical predictors of assessment outcome. We discuss these findings with respect to balancing internal and social validity. We also present exploratory and statistically derived cut offs to consider when assessment length is constrained.
Behavioral Interventions, 2022 · doi:10.1002/bin.1877