Behavioral Assessment of Academic and Social Problems: Implications for the Individual Education Program

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Abstract
Behavioral assessment strageties have been used with increasing frequency in school psychological practice. These assessment strategies are uniquely suited to evaluating entry skills and treatment effects within the context of the Individual Education Program (IEP). While entry skills and target responses are typically evaluated by ongoing repeated measurement procedures, the manner in which this is accomplished varies as a function of the specific assessment procedures used. Behavioral assessment strategies, including interview, self-report, rating scales, self-monitoring, analogue, and direct observation, may be repeated over various phases of the IEP. This paper reviews how these assessment strategies can be used over six phases of the IEP, namely, problem identification, problem analysis, plan implementation, plan evaluation, generalization, and follow-up. Methodological and practical issues in the use of behavioral assessment are presented.