Treating Attention Maintained Behavior in a High School Student

Abstract

Functional behavior analytic approaches have been demonstrated to be widely applicable and efficacious. While interventions have typically focused on children and individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, behavior analytic principles have a great deal to offer to conceptualizations of psychopathology in other populations. This manuscript describes a case of an adolescent with oppositional symptoms treated using a functional behavior analytic intervention. Following an 8-week course of treatment, the client experienced improvements in the areas of academic and social functioning. Findings suggest that a functional behavior analytic perspective may have a great deal to offer to treatment of adolescents.