Research has shown that some individuals with developmental disabilities exhibit problem behaviors, some of which are dangerous to themselves and others (Emerson et al., 2001; Kanne & Mazurek, 2011; Murphy et al., 2005). In addition to the threat of injury to themselves and others, engaging in these behaviors presents many risks including being subjected to intrusive and ineffective interventions (Burke et al., 2003; Powers, 2005; Scott et al., 2005), increased rates of school failure (Chandler & Dahlquist, 2010), increased negative interactions with caregivers (Lawson & O’Brien, 1994), and caregivers lacking confidence in their ability to work with these students (Hastings & Brown, 2002). Currently there are two models for intervening with dangerous behaviors. First, function-based interventions have proven to be effective at reducing challenging behaviors (Beavers, Iwata, & Lerman, 2013), but may be difficult to implement with dangerous behaviors and do not address some of the challenges that caregivers working with individuals who exhibit dangerous behaviors experience (e.g., lack of confidence). The second model, crisis intervention, has been shown to improve caregivers’ experiences, for example increasing their confidence (Baker & Bissmire, 2000; Dawson, 2003; Soenen et al., 2009). However, crisis intervention has not been shown to actually decrease the rates of dangerous behaviors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of an intervention that blends these two models, called Function-Based Crisis Intervention (FBCI), on the crisis, precursor, and appropriate behavior of three students with developmental disabilities. After initial functional behavior assessment, an individualized FBCI plan was developed for each of the three students included. The intervention was implemented using a delayed multiple probe across participants design. Results showed a functional relation between FBCI and students’ crisis and appropriate behaviors. Although all students’ precursor behavior decreased after FBCI was implemented, a functional relation was not demonstrated because one participant’s precursor behavior showed a decreasing trend during baseline. Last, the results are discussed, followed by descriptions of the specific contributions of the study, suggestions for future research, and implications for practice.
