Functional analyses conducted via telehealth with caregivers as primary therapists
Parents can run a full FA at home under Zoom supervision and give you the same clear function you would get in clinic.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Farros and team ran full functional analyses over Zoom.
Parents served as the therapists while the BCBA coached from a distance.
Two children joined the study; the goal was to see if clear functions would still emerge without the clinician in the room.
What they found
Both cases showed clean differentiation.
The BCBA could still tell if behavior was fed by escape, attention, or tangibles.
Caregiver-led telehealth FA produced the same clear patterns you expect in clinic.
How this fits with other research
Andersen et al. (2021) first proved moms and dads could run telehealth FA for feeding problems.
Farros extends that idea to any topography, showing the method is not tied to mealtime.
Spackman et al. (2025) later repeated the model with 17 autistic children and added treatment, giving the approach even more muscle.
Matson et al. (2013) once warned that switching from therapist to parent might change outcomes; Farros answers that worry by showing parent data that match what a clinician would see.
Why it matters
You no longer need to drive to every home or wait for clinic space.
Coach parents through a brief tech check, ship them a few toys, and start the FA on Monday.
The time saved means faster treatment and happier families.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
AbstractConducting efficient and accurate assessments prior to developing a treatment to eliminate problem behavior is necessary. When surveyed, most clinicians report functional analyses (FAs) to be the most informative in determining the function of problem behaviors when compared to descriptive and indirect methods. However, they also report not conducting FAs as a standard practice. Several barriers are reported, such as lack of time and lack of space. Most FA are designed to be conducted in‐person; however, some have utilized a telehealth service delivery model to conduct such assessments. The current study sought to extend the current telehealth FA literature and address the two most reported barriers by using a video conferencing with caregivers as the primary therapists to determine the function of problem behavior. The function of problem behavior was determined across both participants. Benefits, barriers, and future direction of utilizing such an approach are discussed.
Behavioral Interventions, 2023 · doi:10.1002/bin.1965