Multiple Stimulus Without Replacement Preference Assessment for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Step 1: Gather an Array of Items and Activities

Gathering items or activities should be based on the outcomes from the FBA. Although five to seven items are typically selected for the preference assessment, up to 16 items can be used (Cannella-Malone et al., 2013). If the hypothesized function of a student’s behavior is access to tangibles, then the items in the array would be tangible items (e.g., toys, games, fidgets, school supplies). If the function of the behavior is hypothesized to be adult attention, the activities would be those that gain the student access to adult attention (e.g., lunch with the teacher, play a game with a preferred adult). If the hypothesized function of behavior is escape, then the activities would be those that allow the student to escape nonpreferred activities (e.g., break on a device, walk in the hall). In this scenario, because Devon’s behavior is hypothesized to be escape maintained, Kate selects items that might serve as more appropriate means of escaping nonpreferred tasks. When completing a preference assessment with students with EBD, it is not necessary to use real objects during the assessment, as one would when assessing a student with an intellectual or developmental disability. If it is known that students present with average cognition, photo cards or pictorial representations can be used to conduct the preference assessment rather than using actual objects or items.

Step 2: Prepare a Data Collection Sheet

A data collection sheet is needed to track student responses. The data sheet should indicate student name, date, teacher or case manager, list of items, trials by number, and location of selected item. The data sheet should have a way to indicate the item selected in each trial to determine whether the student’s responses are location specific and to follow systematic procedures. In the sample data sheet in Figure 1, Kate circled the item Devon selected on each trial.

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Figure 1.

Sample completed data collection sheet for one assessment session.

Step 3: Conduct the Assessment

Kate begins the assessment sitting across from Devon and provides an explanation of the assessment. She tells Devon,

In this activity I am going to show you choices of items/activities that you could earn. All you have to do is choose the one you like best. It will help me to understand the things that you like and create the best plan I can to help you.

After she places the item/activity cards in a straight line in front of Devon, she gives instructions saying, “Pick one” or “Point to the one you want” and waits a predetermined amount of time (e.g., 5 s). After Devon makes a selection, she asks for the card to be returned or placed in a pile.

By giving the instruction “point to,” the teacher is less likely to have a power struggle over the return of the card. Either way, this card is not placed back into the array. Next, take the card from the leftmost side and place it on the right, shifting all cards to the left so that they are centered (see Figure 2).

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Figure 2.

Example of shifting photo cards after each trial (circled items indicate item selected and removed for next trial).

Step 4: Repeat Step 3

Kate repeats the instruction, waits the predetermined time for a selection, allows student choice, and shifts items/activities until each activity is selected or the student stops responding (i.e., the student does not make a choice from the remaining items). After each trial, Kate removes the item chosen so that she has one fewer items for each subsequent trial.

Each trial requires moving the leftmost item not selected to the right and then centering all items (see Figure 2). Because photo or picture cards are used, it is not necessary to provide time for the student to consume the edible or play with the item as one does when using concrete objects or items.

Step 5: Repeat Session

Accurate data will come from multiple sessions across days. Three to four sessions over a variety of times of day should be completed by following Steps 3 and 4, using the item/activity cards selected in Step 1, and using the data sheet prepared in Step 2.

Step 6: Determine the Results

Score each item in the array given the trial number that the item was selected across each session for a summed score total. For example, if a walk in the hall was selected on the second, fourth, first, and second trials across four sessions (2 + 4 + 1 + 2), it would total nine. If the next item, a break using an iPad was selected on the first, first, second, and first (1 + 1 + 2 + 1) trials across four sessions, it would total five. These calculations would be completed for each item in the array. Once a total is determined for each item, then the items/activities can be rank ordered, the lowest number indicating the highest preference. Items that are not selected are automatically scored with the highest possible trial number. The rank is the order of preference. Figure 3 shows that Devon has a high preference for iPad use (total score: 5; rank: 1), a moderate preference for a walk in the hall (total score: 9; rank: 2), and lower preference for deliver items around the school (total score: 13; rank: 3), no homework pass (total score: 16; rank: 4), and break at desk (total score: 17; rank: 5).

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Figure 3.

Example of results scoring.

Using the Results

The results of the preference assessment should be used in combination with a positive behavior intervention plan. The hierarchy of preferences gained from the assessment provides the teacher with a list of preferences that are likely to serve as reinforcers to use to increase desired or replacement behaviors. Highly preferred items and activities can be reserved for top priority behaviors, whereas moderately preferred items and activities can serve as reinforcers for mid-priority behaviors. Teachers will also identify those items and activities that might not serve as reinforcers if they are not chosen during the assessment process. Items that are never chosen or are ranked at the bottom are highly unlikely to serve as reinforcers; thus, they would not be used as part of the student’s behavior support plan.

Items and activities may be presented to students in the form of a choice menu, with all preferred items, only the top ranked items, or only two items (depending upon student needs) displayed on the choice menu. The student would be asked to make a choice of reinforcer prior to engaging in a task (i.e., “What do you want to work for?”) and would then work to receive the chosen item/activity upon completion of the task. Earning reinforcers should be systematically outlined in the behavior intervention plan with a clear schedule of reinforcement (e.g., how much work needs to be completed to earn the reinforcer).

Teachers may want to consider reevaluation of preferences on a regular basis. Preference assessments should be periodically recompleted to confirm that preferences have not changed and to ensure that items are still preferred with the same value as in the prior assessment (i.e., have the same or similar ranking). Frequency of assessment will vary based on student needs. If teacher data show that the behavior change has flattened or changed direction, that is an indication of a need to reassess preferences. Students with highly variable behavior or frequent environmental changes may also require more frequent preference assessments.