Conducting School-Based Functional Behavioral Assessments

Mark W. Steege, PhD, NCSP, BCBA-D, is Professor of Educational and School Psychology at the University of Southern Maine. He has written numerous research articles, book chapters, and books on functional behavioral assessment and response to intervention. His primary research interests are the application of applied behavior analysis in the assessment and treatment of interfering behaviors with persons with developmental disabilities. Dr. Steege has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, School Psychology Review, and Journal of Evidence-Based Practices for Schools.

Jamie L. Pratt, PsyD, BCBA-D, is Assistant Professor and Chair of Educational and School Psychology at the University of Southern Maine. Dr. Pratt has coauthored several articles and book chapters on behavioral assessment and intervention, and has provided assessment, intervention, and consultation services for school-age children with developmental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Her primary research interests are in extending behavior analytic assessment and intervention methods to improve outcomes for children.

Garry Wickerd, PhD, NCSP, BCBA, is Assistant Professor of Educational and School Psychology at the University of Southern Maine. He has coauthored several behavioral research publications and serves on the editorial board of School Psychology Forum. Dr. Wickerd's primary research interests are behavioral measurement and assessment validity.

Richard Guare, PhD, BCBA-D, is a neuropsychologist and board-certified behavior analyst who frequently consults to schools and agencies on attention and executive skills difficulties. He is former Director of the Center for Learning and Attention Disorders at Seacoast Mental Health Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Dr. Guare is coauthor of bestselling books for general readers, including Smart but Scattered, Smart but Scattered Teens, Smart but Scattered--and Stalled (with a focus on emerging adults), and The Smart but Scattered Guide to Success (with a focus on adults). He is also coauthor of The Work-Smart Academic Planner, Revised Edition, and books for professionals including Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents, Third Edition.

T. Steuart Watson, PhD, retired in 2011 from Miami University, where he was Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology. He is a recipient of the Lightner Witmer Award from Division 16 (School Psychology) of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Watson is a former coeditor of the Journal of Evidence-Based Practices for Schools, and he has written numerous articles, books, and book chapters on behavioral interventions, functional assessment, and the application of behavioral principles in school settings. His research has focused on evaluating the effects of external reinforcers on motivation, direct behavioral consultation, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of behavioral interventions, promoting treatment integrity, functional assessment methodologies, and investigating the effects of olfactory stimuli on learning.