Abstract
We evaluated the effect of functional assessment and assessment-based interventions on the preparation of task materials by an elementary-school boy who met the diagnostic criteria for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In order to demonstrate the effects of an intervention plan based on information obtained during teacher interviews and direct classroom observations, we conducted a brief functional analysis assessment in an outpatient clinic. The intervention procedure proposed to the homeroom teacher was to direct the boy individually to prepare task materials, and to give him a token after he followed the instructions. The homeroom teacher faxed record sheets reporting token delivery to the investigators once a week. Based on these records, back-up reinforcers were delivered to the boy by his mother and by trainers in the outpatient clinic. The results, which demonstrated that assessment-based intervention could increase this boy's adaptive classroom behavior (i.e., preparation of task materials) , suggest the applicability and utility of functional assessment for behavior problems exhibited by children with ADHD in school settings.
