Questions about behavioral function (QABF): a behavioral checklist for functional assessment of aberrant behavior.
The QABF gives you a fast, five-factor snapshot of behavioral function, but later studies say to check low-rate or high-risk cases with extra data.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The authors built a short checklist called Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF).
It asks caregivers 25 questions about why a client hits, yells, or self-injures.
The paper shows how to score the sheet and what each score means.
What they found
The checklist sorted reasons for problem behavior into five clear groups.
The authors say the tool is quick, easy, and backed by early psychometric data.
How this fits with other research
Nicholson et al. (2006) later tested the same checklist in adults with IDD. They kept the five-factor structure but found staff often disagreed on low-rate behaviors.
Jackson et al. (2012) used the QABF to map syndrome-specific profiles. Smith-Magenis cases scored high on pain; fragile-X cases scored low on attention.
Sheridan et al. (2023) extended the tool to justice-involved youth. Resident and staff answers matched well, so youth can fill it out themselves.
These follow-ups do not clash with the original paper. They simply show where the tool works and where you still need direct observation.
Why it matters
You can hand the QABF to a teacher or parent while the client eats lunch. In ten minutes you get a first guess about function. Pair that guess with a quick ABC log or brief functional analysis before you write the behavior plan.
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Join Free →Print the QABF, give it to the parent or aide, and use the top two scored functions to guide your first ABC data sheet.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Functional assessment is a method to identify the relationships between a behavior of interest and an individual's environment. Traditional methods for functional assessment have relied on experimental techniques in which analog sessions are designed to replicate conditions in the individual's environment. However, these techniques can be time-consuming, require advanced training, and rely on the availability of extensive resources in the individual's setting. Development of a brief functional assessment checklist would circumvent these difficulties and meet clinical needs for efficient assessment methods. The current study provides psychometric data for the Questions About Behavioral Function. These data include test-retest, inter-rater, and internal consistency.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2000 · doi:10.1016/s0891-4222(00)00036-6