Functional Behavior Assessment and Behavior Support Plans The educational model focuses on developing an effective learning environment

for students. The Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) process and the development of the Behavior Support Plan (BSP) assist school teams in analyzing the students environment and constructing positive supports to promote appropriate behaviors conducive to learning. The FBA/BSP process can be used for any student exhibiting behavioral problems, from the pre-referral stage to the more intensive levels of need. Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) is a Process that: Gathers global and specific information Involves a group interview technique using people who know the student well; the teacher is essential in the process Looks carefully at the context as well as the behavior Helps us to understand the student and his/her behaviors Leads to hypothesis statements about the behavioral function and related needs Shifts ownership of assessment and intervention to team educators and family Leads to the development of a behavior support plan Incorporates ongoing review and revision as needed Parents participation indicates informed consent Requires formal consent only if initial eligibility for IDEA is suspected and student has been referred for special education evaluation A Good Behavior Support Plan Always Has the Following: Identification of the function(s) of the behavior Strategies to reduce the effect of setting events (slow triggers) Strategies to reduce the effect of antecedents (fast triggers) Appropriate replacement behavior to be taught that will serve the same function for the student Positive consequences for appropriate behavior Reductive consequences for inappropriate behavior A way to measure success or failure of the plan

FBA and BSP

The Flow of Functional Behavior Assessment

Organize Data

Hypothesize Needs

A Solution Finding Process

Develop Behavior Plan

Implement Behavior Plan

Evaluate Behavior Plan

THE FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS

Identify Target Behavior Gather Data Organize Data Hypothesize Need Design Behavior Plan Implement Behavior Plan Evaluate Behavior Plan

When students have challenging behavior that interferes with their ability to learn or interrupts their classmates' learning, schools now have a process, the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA), for gathering information about both the student and his or her behavior. This information gathering is the first part of the process of providing positive behavioral support to the student. Once we understand the purpose of a challenging behavior, what the student "gets" or "avoids", then we can design a behavior support plan that includes instructional supports and strategies that help the student get what he needs in a more socially acceptable way. The FBA is a team effort. It requires bringing together people who know the student well (i.e. parents, teachers, counselor, and the student himself, if appropriate). This team will identify the problem behavior to target for intervention, gather data, and then use the information to develop a hypothesis or "best guess" about why the behavior is occurring.

FBA and BSP

How does the team figure out what is behind a behavior and what might be done to intervene?

IDENTIFY TARGET BEHAVIOR Behaviors that are targeted tend to be those that have not responded to standard strategies that teachers or parents have used before. In describing the behavior, it is important to be as specific as possible. For example, you would say, "Peter talks out loud to his classmates in math class and argues with his teacher", rather than "Peter is disruptive in class."

GATHER AND ORGANIZE DATA Student Strengths/Skills Note how the student learns best, what he does well, and with whom he has positive relationships. Use these skills in designing a behavior plan.

Fast Triggers A fast trigger is what comes just before the challenging behavior. It includes where the behavior occurs, with whom, and during what activity.

Slow Triggers Slow triggers look at the bigger picture to find factors which may be influencing the student's behavior. Learning difficulties and communication challenges may add to a student's frustration. Things like environmental triggers (heat, noise, crowds, etc.) or physical factors (illness, hunger, fatigue, side effects of medication, over-stimulation, etc.) may "set up" an episode of negative behavior. Family and social forces may play a part, too.

Consequences Consequences are what happen immediately after the behavior occurs. Did other classmates laugh? Was the student sent to the office? Did he get out of doing the work?

Sample FBA Strengths of the Student: Jimmy likes school and has many friends. His favorite subjects are English and math. Jimmy has a great relationship with his dad, who he gets to see every other weekend.

Slow Triggers (Setting Events) Mondays after he sees Dad, Headaches, too little sleep, didn't do homework

Fast Triggers (Antecedents) Asked to do multiplication & long division problems, Sitting next to Harry

Target Behavior Talking in class, Arguing with Mr. Soft (math teacher)

Perceived Function Attention from Mr. Soft and Mr. Wong, Gets out of doing math problems

Actual Consequences Gets sent to the principal's (Mr. Wong) office

FBA and BSP

When the team is satisfied that they have found information for each of the questions asked by the group interview format FBA, it can proceed to coming up with a "best guess" or hypothesis. Any unanswered areas in the FBA indicate that more information is needed. In some cases, the team may have to consult with others (a physician, a speech therapist, a psychiatrist, the A+ coordinator, etc.) to fill in information not known to the team. Once the gaps in information have been filled and the data is organized, the next step in the process is to build a hypothesis statement, a summary of why the team believes the behavior is occurring and what purpose it serves. HYPOTHESIZE NEEDS Once information is gathered on what, with whom, when and how the behavior occurs, it is often possible to make a guess as to "why". Most behavior, good or bad, is motivated by a need to get something (attention, a desired object, etc) or to avoid something (hard work, embarrassment, discomfort, etc.). Challenging behaviors may serve more than one function. Most Common Functions of Behavior To obtain: attention desired activities/objects internal stimulation To escape/avoid: interaction tasks or activities physical discomfort Perceived Function The hypothesis that the team builds becomes the foundation for developing a Behavior Support Plan for the student. Ideally, the plan will have strategies that line up with the four pieces of the FBA --slow trigger strategies, fast trigger strategies, alternative behaviors and consequence strategies. Sample Hypothesis

SLOW TRIGGER Given the circumstances.. When Jeff is tired or comes to school without his homework after weekends with Dad . . .

FAST TRIGGER when this occurs . . and Mr. Soft asks students to complete a difficult math assignment . . .

PROBLEM BEHAVIOR the student does . .

MAINTAINING CONSEQUENCE in order to . . . get attention from male role models and get out of doing hard work.

and argues with Mr. Soft about the assignment. . . .

FBA and BSP

DEVELOP A BEHAVIOR SUPPORT PLAN Behavioral Goals The first step in putting together a Behavior Support Plan (BSP) is to define behavioral goals for the student. The team needs to identify alternative, desired behaviors to replace the target problem behaviors. These will include long-term goals (the preferred behavior) and short-term objectives (what would be an acceptable replacement behavior while working toward the preferred behavior). These replacement behaviors need to serve the same function as the problem behavior and get the student's desired results at least as: QUICKLY OFTEN EASILY INTENSELY

Strategies Once the behavior goals are defined, the team must identify strategies that will reduce the likelihood of the problem behavior and increase the likelihood of the desired replacement behavior. These strategies fall into the four categories that match up to the assessment or FBA: Slow trigger (setting event) strategies Fast trigger strategies Strategies for teaching skills required for the desired replacement/alternative behaviors Consequence strategies (either reward strategies for desired behavior or consequences for undesired behavior).

In some cases, it might be necessary to also develop a crisis/emergency plan to address a dangerous or serious situation. Examples might be threat of injury to self or others, destruction of property or a major disturbance of the teaching process. BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT PLANS When developing a BSP it is important to be aware of factors that might keep the plan from being successful:

not including all team members (including parents and the student) in the development, implementation and evaluation of the plan having too vague a definition of a target behavior incomplete measurement or data collection an inaccurate hypothesis inappropriate interventions a lack of skill or support to carry out the interventions failing to take into account other issues (like environment, culture, mental health, physical health, drug use, out of school activities, etc.) that are affecting the student's behavior.

FBA and BSP

IMPLEMENT THE BSP The BSP needs to contain clear directions for implementing the strategies including when and where the strategies will be carried out and by whom who will have the overall responsibility for making sure the plan is implemented how the team will know if the plan is working a schedule for assessing progress and a plan for training staff (and parents) on strategies, as needed. EVALUATE THE BSP The evaluation should monitor how well the plan is being followed and, more importantly, how effective it is in changing the student's behavior. To be able to measure progress, the BSP team should have some baseline data - a description of what the behavior looked like before any intervention. Then team members must make periodic progress checks to see what impact the plan is having. If a problem behavior proves resistant to change, it may be necessary to move back into the assessment phase, so that more data can be gathered and a new hypothesis developed. Providing positive behavior support to students is an ongoing process that must be flexible enough to meet the changing needs of the student and his or her environment. Regularly: Monitor Measure progress Review and revise

FBA and BSP