If you missed it, here is Part 1.
In 1995, I submitted my master’s thesis on Functional Communication Training (FCT), and ever since I have usually been successful implementing FCT. FCT is still one of the most commonly implemented treatments for problem behaviors. Until about 5 years ago, I would not have believed that I had a lot of opportunity for Poogi in this area. I thought my practice was excellent.
Then, I heard Greg Hanley talk about the new research on Practical Functional Assessment. It has transformed my practice. I didn’t fully buy in at first, but now I’m convinced that it is a major breakthrough in the treatment of problem behaviors. A large number of studies have already been published, with more coming out all the time. At the time of this writing, Practical Functional Assessment is gaining in popularity, but not yet fully accepted by the field.
The basic ideas of Practical Functional Assessment are extremely simple, yet the difference in practice is profound. I’m convinced that BCBAs who adopt these procedures will achieve dramatically superior results as compared to using the available knowledge prior to the first Practical Functional Assessment study published in 2014.
Now, I take training courses to upgrade my skills as often as possible. Currently, I’m taking the advanced course with Shannon Ward, which is fantastic. An amazing amount of progress has been made since 2014. In fact, I just took an all-day training last October, and many new improvements have been made since then.
I have always preached that no matter how good you are, there is always dramatic room for POOGI. In this training, Greg discusses his goal of dramatic improvement every six months. It is a great model for all of us to work toward achieving—a perfect example of the POOGI.