Should severe self-injury and aggression be assessed via functional analysis due to safety concerns?

Assessing severe self-injury and aggression through functional analysis carries significant safety concerns, which is why this option is the most appropriate. Functional analysis involves systematically manipulating environmental variables to observe their effects on problem behaviors, which can pose risks to the individual and those around them when the behaviors in question are severe.

Considering the nature of self-injurious and aggressive behaviors, they can lead to immediate physical harm, thus necessitating more cautious approaches to assessment. Alternative assessment methods, such as indirect assessments or descriptive analyses, can be employed to gather information without placing the individual in dangerous situations.

Other options suggest that functional analysis might be appropriate under certain conditions, but in the case of severe behaviors, prioritizing safety is crucial, which supports the validity of not assessing them in this manner.