Which assessment method does not involve direct observation?

The correct answer is that indirect assessment does not involve direct observation. Indirect assessments rely on information gathered from people who know the individual well, such as parents, teachers, or other caregivers. This may include interviews, questionnaires, or behavior rating scales that allow for the collection of data regarding the individual's behavior without observing the behavior in real time.

In contrast, other methods such as descriptive functional behavior assessment (FBA), ABC recording, and scatterplots involve direct observation of behavior. Descriptive FBA observes and records behavior as it occurs in a natural setting to identify patterns and triggers. ABC recording captures the Antecedents, Behaviors, and Consequences of specific incidents of behavior, requiring the observer to be present during the occurrence of the behavior. Scatterplots are used to visually represent the occurrence of a behavior over time, also necessitating direct observation to accurately chart when the behavior occurs.

Therefore, indirect assessment stands out as a method that does not require direct observation of the behavior in question, instead relying on the perceptions and reports from those familiar with the individual’s behavior.