If your child has been referred for ABA therapy in Maryland, you may have heard the term "Functional Behavior Assessment" — or FBA. It might sound technical and a little intimidating. But it is one of the most important and useful tools in your child's care.
A functional behavior assessment for autism is simply a process that helps your child's therapy team understand why a behavior is happening — not just what the behavior looks like on the surface. And when you truly understand the "why," you can build a plan that actually helps.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about FBAs in plain, everyday language. What an FBA is. How it is done. What comes next. And — just as importantly — how you fit into the process. Because at The Learning Tree ABA, you are not a bystander in your child's therapy. You are an essential part of it.
"Before a behavior can be addressed, it must be understood. That understanding begins with a Functional Behavior Assessment."
What Is a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)?
A Functional Behavior Assessment — known as an FBA — is a structured, evidence-based process used to identify the purpose, or "function," behind a specific behavior. In ABA therapy, we do not look at behaviors in isolation. We look at the full picture: what happened just before the behavior, what the behavior looks like, and what happened immediately after.
The goal of an FBA is not to label your child or suggest that they are "bad." It is grounded in a simple and important truth: all behavior is a form of communication.
A child who throws materials during a task may be overwhelmed. A child who screams in the grocery store may be responding to sensory input. A child who runs away from the dinner table may be trying to escape something that feels deeply uncomfortable. The behavior is their message — the FBA helps us read it.
According to a 2025 review published by the Association for Science in Autism Treatment, parents and caregivers participated in 82% of FBAs reviewed across 34 studies. That means parents like you are not just allowed in this process — you are a critical part of it.
In Maryland, FBAs are conducted or supervised by Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) to design individualized treatment plans. They are also used in school settings under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) whenever a child's behavior interferes with their learning.
Why the Function of Behavior Matters
Here is a simple truth that changes everything: the same behavior can have completely different causes.
Imagine two children who both cry and fall to the floor when asked to stop playing. One child may be doing this because they want more time with a favorite toy. Another may be doing it because they are tired and overwhelmed. The behavior looks identical. But the cause — and therefore the solution — is completely different.
If you only address the surface of a behavior without understanding its function, you may accidentally make things worse. For example, if a child is acting out to get attention and the response is to give attention — even if it is negative attention — that behavior is being reinforced without anyone realizing it.
This is why behavior is communication — a concept that sits at the heart of everything The Learning Tree ABA does. Understanding what your child is trying to communicate with their behavior is the first step to helping them find a better, more effective way to express it.
Your child is not trying to make your life difficult. They are doing the best they can with the tools they have right now. An FBA helps us give them better tools.
The Four Functions of Behavior Explained
ABA research has identified four main reasons — or functions — why most challenging behaviors occur. Understanding these four functions helps you see your child's behavior through a completely different lens. Select each one below to see a real-world example and a practical starting point.
You don't have to decode this alone.
Our BCBAs are trained to find the "why" behind your child's behavior — and to explain it to you in plain language. A free consultation is the first step.
The Four Functions of Behavior
Tap any function to see a real-world example and a helpful starting point for your family.
Real Example
A child throws their worksheet during homework. They may be communicating: "This feels too hard. I need to get away from this task."
What Can Help
Offer a structured break before frustration peaks. Use a "first/then" plan: "First we do two problems, then we take a 5-minute break."
Real Example
A child acts out loudly when a parent is on a phone call. This is not manipulation — it is connection-seeking. They are trying to reach you.
What Can Help
Catch them being successful and give positive attention early and often — even for very small wins. Teaching them to appropriately request attention is a powerful replacement skill.
Real Example
A child screams until they receive their tablet. The screaming is reinforced because it works — they get access to the preferred item.
What Can Help
Teach a functional, appropriate way to request the preferred item — a word, a sign, or a picture exchange. Then honor that request quickly, so the new method "works" too.
Real Example
Rocking, hand-flapping, humming, or other repetitive movements provide a sensory experience that is internally rewarding — regardless of anyone else's response.
Important to Know
Many automatic reinforcement behaviors are self-regulatory and are not targets for intervention. The focus is on safety and quality of life — not eliminating benign self-soothing. Learn more in our article on sensory needs and downtime.
How an FBA Is Conducted, Step by Step
An FBA is not a single test you pass or fail. It is a multi-step process that gathers information from multiple sources to build a complete, accurate picture. Here is what to expect — and where you fit in at each stage.
The FBA Process: What Happens When
Select each step to understand what it involves and what your role is throughout.
Define the Behavior
The BCBA begins by identifying the specific behavior to be assessed with a clear, observable definition. Not "he is being defiant" — but "he falls to the floor and screams for 10–15 minutes when asked to transition from preferred activities."
Why it matters: Precise definitions allow the team to measure and track the behavior accurately across time and settings.
Gather Indirect Assessment Information
This involves interviews, questionnaires, and conversations — especially with you, the parent. You have watched your child in more settings than anyone on the therapy team. Your observations are irreplaceable.
- Functional Assessment Interview (FAI)
- Motivation Assessment Scale (MAS)
- Parent and caregiver questionnaires
- Teacher interviews (with your written consent)
Conduct Direct Observation
Your BCBA or a trained team member observes your child directly — in the home, center, school, or community setting. They use structured methods to record what happens before the behavior, the behavior itself, and what happens afterward.
This is called an ABC analysis — Antecedent (what came before), Behavior (what happened), Consequence (what followed).
Functional Analysis (When Needed)
In some cases, the BCBA may conduct a functional analysis — a more controlled assessment where conditions are carefully arranged to test which factors are driving the behavior.
This is always done in a safe, supervised setting and with your fully informed consent. Not every FBA requires a formal functional analysis — your BCBA will explain if and why it is recommended for your child.
Summarize and Form a Hypothesis
Using all information gathered, the BCBA writes a hypothesis statement that explains the function of the behavior. For example: "When presented with non-preferred academic tasks, [child's name] engages in crying and task refusal to escape the demand."
This hypothesis then drives the entire treatment plan — it is the foundation everything else is built on.
From FBA to Behavior Intervention Plan: What Comes Next
Once the FBA is complete, your BCBA uses the findings to develop a Behavior Intervention Plan — or BIP. This is the written roadmap for how your child's team, including you, will respond to the challenging behavior going forward. A strong BIP has three essential parts:
Antecedent Strategies
Changes to the environment or routine that reduce the likelihood of the behavior occurring in the first place.
Replacement Behaviors
Teaching your child a new, more appropriate way to get the same need met — a better tool for the same purpose.
Consequence Strategies
How the team will respond when the behavior occurs, and how they will reinforce the new replacement behavior.
The goal is never to suppress your child or make them compliant for its own sake. The goal is to help your child get their needs met in a way that works better for them — and for your family.
As part of ABA therapy services in Maryland, every BIP at The Learning Tree ABA is built directly on the FBA findings and reviewed with you before implementation begins. You will understand exactly what is in the plan and why.
Your Role as a Parent in the FBA Process
You are not just a bystander in the FBA process. You are one of the most important contributors to it. Here is how parents and caregivers are involved — and why that involvement makes such a meaningful difference.
Your observations are essential
You see your child in settings the therapy team may never observe. You know what triggers a meltdown at 7am before school. You know what happened right before the behavior started. That context is invaluable and cannot be replaced by clinical observation alone.
Your priorities shape the plan
The behaviors identified for assessment should reflect what matters most to your family — not just what is most disruptive in a clinic setting. If a behavior is affecting your child's ability to sleep, eat, or learn at school, that is where the focus belongs.
You will be trained to implement the plan
At The Learning Tree ABA, parent training is built into every care plan. Your BCBA will walk you through the strategies in your child's BIP so you can support them consistently at home — not just during therapy sessions.
You have the right to ask questions — always
If something in the FBA or BIP is unclear, ask. If you disagree with a goal, say so. If a strategy does not feel right for your child, speak up. The best outcomes happen when families and therapists work as genuine, equal partners.
"You know your child best. We know behavior science. Together, we build a plan that actually works."
Every family we serve starts with the same foundation: a thorough assessment, a collaborative plan, and a team that genuinely cares about your child's whole life — not just their behavior in a session.
How The Learning Tree ABA Uses FBAs — and What Maryland Parents Should Know About Schools
The FBA at The Learning Tree ABA
At The Learning Tree ABA, FBAs are not a formality or paperwork. They are the clinical foundation of every treatment plan. Before any goals are set, our BCBAs invest the time to truly understand your child — what drives their behavior, what their strengths are, and what your family's priorities are.
- Your BCBA conducts the FBA before any goals are set
- Findings are shared with you in plain language — no jargon, no data dumps you have to interpret alone
- Goals are chosen collaboratively, based on what matters most to your family
- The BIP is reviewed and explained to you before it is implemented
- Parent training ensures you can support your child's progress at home with confidence
- The plan is reviewed regularly and updated as your child grows
The Learning Tree ABA provides in-home ABA therapy, center-based ABA therapy, and school and daycare-based ABA therapy across Maryland — including Baltimore County, Montgomery County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Harford County, and Carroll County. Across all settings, the FBA guides every intervention the team designs.
FBAs in Maryland Schools: What Parents Should Know
FBAs are not only used in private ABA therapy. They are also a key tool in Maryland schools. Under IDEA and the Every Student Succeeds Act, schools are required to conduct an FBA when a child's behavior interferes with their learning — or when a child faces disciplinary action that results in a change of placement.
The U.S. Department of Education's 2024 "Dear Colleague" letter explicitly urges schools to conduct FBAs whenever needed to "support any student whose behavior interferes with learning." If your child has an IEP, you have the right to request an FBA.
You can also ask your child's ABA team to coordinate with their school team — with your written consent — to ensure the Behavior Intervention Plan is consistent across settings. This kind of cross-setting consistency is explored further in our article on parent involvement in ABA therapy, and it is one of the most powerful things you can do to support your child's progress.
When the strategies in your child's Behavior Intervention Plan are consistent across home, therapy, and school — progress happens faster and generalizes more naturally into real everyday life.
Frequently Asked Questions About Functional Behavior Assessments
The length varies depending on the complexity of the behavior and the settings involved. The indirect assessment phase — interviews and questionnaires — typically takes one to two sessions. Direct observation may span several days or weeks to gather enough data across different settings.
Most FBAs are completed within two to four weeks, though a thorough assessment always takes priority over a rushed timeline. Your BCBA will give you a realistic estimate at the start of the process.
FBAs should be conducted or directly supervised by a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). BCBAs are credentialed through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) and trained specifically in behavioral assessment, data collection, and intervention design.
At The Learning Tree ABA, all FBAs are led by our licensed BCBAs, who maintain close involvement throughout both the assessment and the treatment planning process that follows.
Yes — at The Learning Tree ABA, a thorough assessment always comes before treatment planning. A complete FBA ensures that your child's goals and interventions are based on an accurate understanding of what is actually driving their behavior.
Starting treatment without this foundation can lead to plans that are ineffective — or that accidentally reinforce the very behaviors they are trying to address. The assessment process is also the time when you and the BCBA build the collaborative relationship that makes therapy work.
Absolutely — and sharing FBA findings between your child's ABA therapy team and their school team (with your written consent) is one of the most powerful things you can do. When the strategies in a Behavior Intervention Plan are consistent across home, therapy, and school, progress happens faster and generalizes more naturally.
Maryland families can request an FBA from their child's school at any time if a behavior is interfering with learning — this is a right under IDEA, not a favor the school is doing you.
After the FBA, your BCBA will review the findings with you in plain language and use them to develop a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP). The BIP outlines the specific strategies your child's team — including you — will use to reduce the challenging behavior and teach replacement skills.
The plan is reviewed and updated regularly as your child makes progress. Parent training ensures you know exactly how to support your child at home using the same strategies the therapy team uses in sessions — so progress doesn't stop when the session ends.
Educational Content Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute clinical advice and should not replace guidance from a qualified BCBA, physician, or other licensed professional. For guidance specific to your child, please consult your child's healthcare provider or a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst.
Sources: Tereshko, L. (2025). A treatment summary: Functional behavior assessment. Science in Autism Treatment, 22(8). O'Neill, P., & Koudys, J. (2025). Scoping review: Caregiver training to reduce challenging behaviors in children on the autism spectrum. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 18, 56–73. U.S. Department of Education (2024). Dear Colleague letter on functional behavior assessments in school settings. BACB Certificant Registry — Maryland, February 2026.
You are not alone in trying to understand your child.
A Functional Behavior Assessment is the right place to start — a personalized roadmap grounded in who your child actually is. The Learning Tree ABA is here to walk that road with you.
Schedule Your Free Consultation →Call us: 410-205-9493 · hello@thelearningtreeaba.com
