Abstract
Analogue assessment is an experimental methodology for identifying functions of challenging behaviour. It has had a pervasive impact on the field of behavioural intervention for people with challenging behaviours. The procedure is examined in terms of three types of validity: ecological validity, convergent validity and empirical validity. The utility of analogue assessment in clinical settings is also explored. The primary advantage of analogue assessment is experimental demonstration of relationship between variables. An impressive range of advances have improved the ecological validity of the procedure. However, evidence for convergent validity is lacking. The advantage of analogue assessment over alternative forms of functional assessment has yet to be adequately demonstrated. And the use of analogue assessment in routine clinical practice remains dubious.