Observing Preschool Behavior Safely: An SLP Guide

Observation gives you questions to investigate

A child pushes a puzzle away, then becomes quieter when the activity ends. Write down that sequence. It doesn't by itself establish an escape function. Likewise, looking at an adult or continuing to bang after attention doesn't establish an attention function.

Thompson and Iwata's 2007 comparison found discrepancies between descriptive observations and functional analyses. Events that occur together may be worth investigating, but a descriptive pattern doesn't demonstrate a functional relation. Their study doesn't provide a quick diagnostic rule for an autistic preschooler in a speech session.

An assessment should consider the child and the situation, including possible discomfort, communication needs and access barriers. Bring new, escalating or injurious behavior to the treating team; seek medical advice when pain or illness may be involved. Keep help, breaks, comfort and communication available while the team considers next steps.

Record what you saw

Use a brief antecedent–behavior–consequence note during a routine that would have happened anyway. Record the time, activity, people present, what happened immediately before the behavior, an observable description and what happened afterward. Add any injury or safety response and whether the session ended. Separate observations from guesses.

For example: “During a puzzle, the adult placed a piece nearby. The child pushed the board away and cried. The adult paused the activity and offered help. Crying stopped.” A separate question for the team could be: “Was the task uncomfortable or difficult, or was the child communicating something else?” The note doesn't assign a function.

Don't create a condition by withholding attention, placing a wanted item out of reach or repeatedly re-presenting an upsetting demand. This article offers no experimental assessment procedure, restraint method or instruction to ignore behavior. Record ordinary events while responding to the child's needs and following the agreed plan.

Bring observations to the assessment team

Ask whether a functional assessment has already been completed, who is responsible for it and how the findings relate to the communication plan. Discuss the observations with a professional competent in functional assessment, such as the child's appropriately trained behavior analyst, in coordination with the SLP and family. This page doesn't establish a reader's competence, licensure or scope of practice.

Hanley, Iwata and McCord's 2003 review describes functional analysis as assessment that measures behavior across conditions while manipulating environmental variables to demonstrate a relation. That controlled comparison differs from watching a single interaction. The review is research context, not authorization to reproduce its procedures from a web guide.

There is no “three to five trials,” “eight out of ten” or “seven out of ten” rule here for deciding a function. Repeated observations can support a conversation; they don't turn an untested explanation into a diagnosis.

Connect assessment with communication support

Once the team has an adequate assessment and individualized plan, the SLP can help choose an accessible way to communicate a relevant need. Agree on how adults will recognize and respond to messages, including gestures, pictures, AAC or speech, and how the child's willingness to participate will be respected.

Carr and Durand's 1985 study used assessment findings to select communication responses and reported reductions in problem behavior across four children with developmental disabilities. This supports the importance of connecting assessment and communication teaching. It doesn't guarantee a particular result for a three-to-five-year-old or validate the tests previously printed on this page.

Use the next team discussion well

• Bring one factual observation and a question, rather than an assumed function.
• Check the existing safety and communication plans and who should be contacted if behavior changes.
• Agree on what the team needs to assess and what to record during ordinary routines.
• Document any agreed change and when the responsible professional will review it.

This checklist is our planning aid, not a validated screening instrument or a five-day treatment schedule. It doesn't predict progress or replace an individualized assessment.