To determine the reason behind a student's disruptive behavior and plan intervention, which assessment is appropriate?

• A. Formal assessment
• B. FBA
• C. IQ test
• D. Achievement test

Answer: (B)

Understanding why a student behaves disruptively and how to respond effectively starts with identifying the function of the behavior. A Functional Behavioral Assessment looks at what happens before and after the behavior to uncover its purpose—what the student is trying to obtain or avoid. By collecting observations and data, you form a hypothesis about the behavior’s function (for example, attention, task avoidance, access to a break, or sensory input). With that function in mind, you design interventions that either teach a more appropriate way to get the same outcome (a replacement behavior) and adjust the environment or consequences so the disruptive behavior is not reinforced.

Formal assessments, IQ tests, or achievement tests focus on cognitive abilities or academic skills, not on why a behavior occurs or how to change it. They can provide useful information for other purposes, but they don’t directly guide behavioral interventions in the way an FBA does.