Which tool is a structured assessment form with questions about various functions of challenging behavior, completed by caregivers?

• A. FAST
• B. MAS
• C. Rating Scale
• D. ABC Data

Answer: (A)

The tool being described is designed to capture why a behavior occurs by asking a caregiver about different possible reasons a challenging behavior might be happening. It’s a structured questionnaire you fill out that considers multiple function categories—such as getting attention, escaping or avoiding a demand, gaining access to tangibles, or satisfying a sensory need. Because it’s completed by someone who knows the child across settings and times, it helps reveal the most likely maintaining factors in a quick, consistent way, which is useful to guide further assessment or intervention.

Other options aren’t as aligned with this description. A chart or form used to record observed antecedents, behaviors, and consequences is ABC data, which is about direct observation rather than a caregiver questionnaire. A rating scale that’s more general isn’t specifically focused on identifying multiple functional categories. The Motivation Assessment Scale also gathers function-related ideas from caregivers, but the question’s emphasis on a structured form that explicitly queries multiple functions points most directly to this tool.