Why are Measurable Behavioral Objectives (MBOs) so important?

When well written, and based on a functional behavioral assessment, correctly implemented, and adjusted as needed (no longer than every six weeks), they simply provide:

BETTER OUTCOMES!

So… Why else are MBOs so important?

They, with well written goals, provide:

A clear, unambiguous map to the desired destination (outcome).

To test this on your objectives, write a practice MBO and give it to a group of people without any additional explanation and see if they all carry it out the same… as each other, and as you had intended.  You may want to try something silly and different from what you might typically write.  For example, write an objective on making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or some other very simple food preparation.  You may want to try writing a measurable behavioral objective on tying a shoe in an unusual way, or some other fairly-simple task done in an unusual way, so the person must follow your directions, not just do what they have always done.

A measurable behavioral objective is the core of the intervention plan.  The goal is where you want to go.  Objectives are the steps or path to get you there.  You may have a goal to travel to Katmandu or Timbuctoo.  You may have a goal to travel to Brussels Belgium or Paris France, or Paris Idaho (USA).  However; if you have no plan on how to get there, no map, no GPS, no means of travel, no resources; are you likely to ever arrive at your desired destination.  Such things are very unlikely to occur, just by chance.

A quality MBO is parsimonious!

1.     As short as possible.

2.     As simple as possible.

3.     Succinct.

For additional clarification (of your MBO) attach:

1.     Charts.

2.     Visual: Schedules or Cues.

3.     Operational definitions.

As needed.

          Keep your MBO parsimonious.  If additional clarification is needed, attach clarification to the plan, but also keep the additional clarification as simple as possible.

A well written MBO and plan will:

1.     Be written in full partnership with primary care providers, such as parents, grandparents, other family members, foster parents, etc.

2.     Be written in full partnership with the intended recipient of services, to the extent possible.

3.     Always protect the safety and dignity of the intended recipient and all others involved.

Start with OUTCOMES!

1.     What does the individual want to be able to do or do differently?

2.     What does the family want the individual to be able to do or do differently?

3.     What does the individual need to do or do differently to be able to function better or well, within his or her natural routine?

4.     What are the current and desired natural routines for the individual?

5.     (Within the family and non-clinical natural environment, without the presence of a therapist or interventionist… with family and/or typically developing peers, what is the person doing now?  What is the desired change?  How will the behavior look differently?  What will the individual be doing differently when the objective has been achieved?)

Write this out.

What is the current situation?

1.     What is the current routine?  What is the environment of that routine?  Is this the natural environment for the routine?  Is this where a person would/should typically be doing or performing this routine?

2.     What are his or her current skills and behaviors?

3.     What are the current baselines (according to objective data) for the desired behavior, task, and/or response?

Write this out.

WHY?

1.     Why is the individual doing what s/he is doing now?

(The answer to this question may be best learned from a thorough, professional, Functional Behavioral Assessment, which includes a Functional Analysis of Behavior.  This is often conducted by a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst, BCBA.  The answer may also be due to the stages of development, not attained or skills which have not been learned.  It may be caused by setting events as will be discussed later.)

There are ALWAYS reasons for behavior, (appropriate or inappropriate) an underlying need has often been met through or because of the behavior.  IF the behavior is inappropriate, are there other ways for the individual to meet the underlying need?   If the behavior is basically appropriate, is there need for improvement?  Is the child capable of doing the desired behavior?

Write this out.

Well written objectives are… almost always:

1.     Measurable (ALWAYS)

2.     Observable (Almost always.  On occasion, they are observable only by inference or ancillary information or observation.)

3.     Repeatable (Almost always. On occasion, they may only occur once. An example would be the flower girl at a wedding.  There may be many practices, but only one final application of the desired activity/behavior.)

Measurement (of an adjective) must be:

1.     Valid (measure what it is intended to measure.)

2.     Reliable (measures the same: across time, people, and situations.)

Validity:  Be cautious about:

1.     Multiple variables.  (While you may have more than one variable, more always complicate the issue.  It is more difficult to know what has caused what, and it becomes more difficult to measure.)

2.     Maturation.  (Sometimes, quite often, children and adults change over time due to variables not associated with your intervention.  This can include simple maturation due to aging and natural association with peers.)

3.     Observer bias.  (If you are not especially cautious, it can be very easy for your bias, the bias of the interventionist, or others to impact the outcome and taint the data.  There are ample examples of this occurring in research, surveys, and other data collection.  There is a very old joke about a panel of interviewers hiring a statistician.  Each time at the end of the interview someone on the panel writes “2+2=” on a whiteboard.  The final interviewee and the one who gets the job, leans over and whispers: “what do you want the answer to be?”  Observer bias does not need to be that overt.  Simply having a desire for an outcome can cloud objectivity.)

All of these, WILL alter the validity of your data if you do not take appropriate precautions.  While the intervention may or may not be effective, altering the outcomes of the data or failing to mitigate the effect of potential confounders of validity, such as those listed above may make the intervention appear effective, but will not make it so.