Classroom-based functional and adjunctive assessments: proactive approaches to intervention selection for adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Teachers ran short tests right in their classrooms. They wanted to see why teens with ADHD were acting out.

The team added quick checks called adjunctive assessments. These showed if tasks were too hard or if kids needed praise.

All testing stayed in class. No one pulled kids to a clinic.

Problem behaviors dropped a lot after teachers used the results. Teens stayed on task longer.

Teachers said the plan was easy and they liked using it.

Rasing et al. (1992) did similar work first, but parents ran the tests in a clinic. The new study moved the whole job to the teacher and the classroom.

Kodak et al. (2013) later made the process even faster. They used short discrete trials that take less time yet still find the function.

Kestner et al. (2019) added a smart twist. They say check class-wide basics first. Fix dull lessons or unclear rules before you start an individual FBA. This builds on the 1998 work and can save you steps.

You can copy this tomorrow. Run a 10-minute test during class. Watch if behavior changes when you add help, praise, or easier work. Pick the fix that works and keep it in place. No extra staff, no clinic room needed.