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What is a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)?
It is a comprehensive and individualized, problem-solving process that addresses challenging behavior. It incorporates a variety of techniques and strategies to gather information as a means of understanding the specific reasons for the student’s problem behavior and how a student’s behavior relates to or is affected by his/her environment. An FBA looks beyond the form of the behavior (i.e., what the behavior looks or sounds like), and focuses on identifying what maintains the behavior (i.e., the function). This type of assessment leads the observer beyond the “symptom” to the student’s underlying motivation (escape, avoid, or gain something).
What is a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)?
It is a specific plan of action that designs effective positive behavior interventions to teach the student more acceptable behavior(s) to replace the inappropriate behavior. The purpose is to teach the student more appropriate behaviors that meet the same function, or purpose, as the inappropriate behaviors previously exhibited. When a BIP is implemented, progress monitoring (data collection) occurs to determine if there are reductions in the inappropriate behavior and increases in the appropriate behavior(s). In order to develop a more effective and efficient behavior intervention plan, we must use the information from the FBA that describes when, where, and why problem behavior occurs. Intervention plans based on an understanding of “why” a student engages in problem behavior are extremely useful in addressing a wide range of problem behaviors.
When should an FBA and BIP be completed?
A formal assessment usually is reserved for serious, recurring problems that do not readily respond to intervention strategies or classroom management techniques and impede a student’s learning.
Is the process only for students with disabilities?
Although there are legal circumstances in which an FBA must be conducted, there is nothing in the law that prevents a team from concluding that an FBA and a BIP are appropriate supports for any child. Best practice suggests that an FBA be conducted for any student whenever behavior appears to be significantly interfering with the learning process and well before behaviors reach crisis proportions. All students can benefit from the use of consistent positive behavior interventions and supports.
After an Emergency Intervention Is a Functional Analysis Assessment Required?
Yes. The assessment is “indirect” in that we must perform an analysis of a one time occurring behavior, i.e., the emergency that just occurred. This requires retrospective analysis, a type of “behavioral autopsy.”
If the conclusion is that the behavior is unlikely to occur again or if analysis of the situation shows the emergency intervention was applied in error, and did not require it in the first place, then the school site behavior team will likely conclude a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) is not warranted and they describe the rationale for that conclusion in writing.
Unless this was a highly isolated, never seen before behavior or other rare circumstances, the FBA will provide the data on suggested interventions that the school site behavior team will use to develop the BIP under the guidance of the Behavior Intervention Specialist, with the school psychologist monitoring of the implementation for the duration of the plan.
After an Emergency Intervention Is an “Interim Behavior Plan” required?
If the school site behavior team decides not to put a plan in place, they must provide a written rationale for that decision. Probably most episodes that generated an emergency intervention will require at minimum, a behavior plan to address what is believed to be the triggers/antecedents and reasons for the behavior until the school site team has enough data to objectively conclude a BIP is not required.
Adapted from: San Diego Unified School District and Escambia County School District
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