Title: Problem behavior at home and in the community: When is it most likely to occur? A guide for parents Topics: Parent assessment and behavior regulation Grant Year: 2003

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Objectives: Based on parental reports of problem behaviors in their children with autism, this study set out to develop a user-friendly tally system, called the Contextual Assessment Inventory (CAI), in which parents could record “contexts” where problem behaviors typically occur. This was developed with the hope that results would lead to successful interventions that increase positive family relations and diminish the rate with which children with autism are institutionalized. Study: The study focused on three contexts in which problem behavior could occur: social context, activity/routine context, and biological context. Parents observed the behavior of their child and recorded stimuli that negatively affected him or her, rating the effects on a scale of 1-5. Each of the categories contained eight contextual items typical to the experience of the child. Results: Results indicate that the leading problem behaviors were driven by all three contexts: social (denied access, communication problems, or not enough attention), activity/routine (end of preferred activity, difficult/disliked/boring task, activity too lengthy, or being made to wait), and biological (being frightened, tired, hungry, or ill). Four to six weeks following the conclusion of the study, parents observed their children and filled out the forms for a second time. This followup yielded similar results to the original reports. Researchers also performed direct observations of the children and confirmed the reactions that the parents had recorded. Significance and Implications: The CAI can help parents avoid or constantly redesign problematic contexts, and can help the child develop productive coping skills. This may lead to the reduction or elimination of poor behavior, more successful family outings and interactions, decreased stress, and increased parental control. Practical Relevance: These results are useful for parents, teachers, and clinicians. Parents can use the CAI to identify and assess the contexts in which a child's problem behaviors occur, which will help parents reduce these behaviors by avoiding or altering these contexts. Teachers, clinicians, and other professionals can use this same strategy to help reduce the number of outbursts in the classroom or other learning settings. For every member of a child’s treatment team, the CAI can assist with planning, identification of themes, and determining the focus of various interventions.

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