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Indirect Assessment: IISCA Open-Ended Interview
Your Name
Capella University
PSY7712 Behavior Analytic Assessments
Dr. Celia L. Heyman
Month dd, 2024
, 2
Tips for Conducting the Open-Ended Interview
Use the interview available below. All questions need not (and probably should not) be
asked of every caregiver. Several examples of questions that might yield similar
information are listed together; analysts may choose versions they feel comfortable with
and might consider asking different versions of the same question if the original question
does not yield sufficient information. Analysts should stop asking a particular type of
question when they have gathered enough information to design an IISCA.
The open-ended interview meeting may also be used to familiarize new clients with
general service guidelines and procedures. The interview itself, however, rarely takes
more than 45 minutes and can take as few as 10.
Here are 10 tips to increase the odds of a successful interview:
1. Always remember the 3-part mission when interviewing in order to stay on task:
• Identify and define most severe problem behavior and associated non-
dangerous behaviors,
• Identify EOs that are most challenging and convenient to replicate (list
materials needed),
• Identify reinforcers and precise forms of delivery (list materials needed).
2. Interview people who spend most time with child/client.
3. Interview people together when possible and facilitate consensus.
4. First ask them to vividly recount two recent serious problem behavior episodes.
• Listen for and document response class members, EO specifics, and
reinforcers.
• Then ask probe questions.
5. After listening to and taking notes on the recent problem behavior (pb) episodes, be
more direct and ask what happens to evoke problem behavior (triggers) or its
precursors (see questions on interview).
6. Then ask how people respond to problem behavior (consequate, redirect; see
questions on interview).
7. If the 3-part mission has not been completed at this point (i.e., you have not obtained
enough information to design an analysis), ask some hypothetical questions like the
ones below.
Indirect Assessment: IISCA Open-Ended Interview
Your Name
Capella University
PSY7712 Behavior Analytic Assessments
Dr. Celia L. Heyman
Month dd, 2024
, 2
Tips for Conducting the Open-Ended Interview
Use the interview available below. All questions need not (and probably should not) be
asked of every caregiver. Several examples of questions that might yield similar
information are listed together; analysts may choose versions they feel comfortable with
and might consider asking different versions of the same question if the original question
does not yield sufficient information. Analysts should stop asking a particular type of
question when they have gathered enough information to design an IISCA.
The open-ended interview meeting may also be used to familiarize new clients with
general service guidelines and procedures. The interview itself, however, rarely takes
more than 45 minutes and can take as few as 10.
Here are 10 tips to increase the odds of a successful interview:
1. Always remember the 3-part mission when interviewing in order to stay on task:
• Identify and define most severe problem behavior and associated non-
dangerous behaviors,
• Identify EOs that are most challenging and convenient to replicate (list
materials needed),
• Identify reinforcers and precise forms of delivery (list materials needed).
2. Interview people who spend most time with child/client.
3. Interview people together when possible and facilitate consensus.
4. First ask them to vividly recount two recent serious problem behavior episodes.
• Listen for and document response class members, EO specifics, and
reinforcers.
• Then ask probe questions.
5. After listening to and taking notes on the recent problem behavior (pb) episodes, be
more direct and ask what happens to evoke problem behavior (triggers) or its
precursors (see questions on interview).
6. Then ask how people respond to problem behavior (consequate, redirect; see
questions on interview).
7. If the 3-part mission has not been completed at this point (i.e., you have not obtained
enough information to design an analysis), ask some hypothetical questions like the
ones below.
