“Functional Behavior Assessment” or “FBA” means a process rooted in applied behavior analysis that focuses on determining why a student engages in behaviors that impede learning and how the student’s behavior relates to the environment. 

“Behavior Intervention Plan” or “BIP” means an individualized plan based on the results of a Functional Behavior Assessment that is designed to assist a student to decrease inappropriate behavior and increase or teach an alternative appropriate behavior. 

0520-01-09-.24 FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOR ASSESSMENTS AND BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLANS

PROCEDURE/GUIDANCE  (see SPE-P017) 

5.1 A Functional Behavior Assessment shall be conducted by a group of at least three (3)

  individuals knowledgeable about the student, which may include as appropriate:

(a) The Parent of the child;

(b) At least one (1) special education teacher of the child;

(c) At least one (1) general education teacher of the child;

(d) Related Service provider(s);

(e) School psychologist;

(f) Other school personnel; and

(g) The student.

5.2 To the extent possible, the FBA process shall be led by a School Psychologist, Licensed

   Behavior Analyst, or other school personnel trained to conduct FBAs.

5.3 An FBA shall be conducted to inform the development or revision of a Behavior         

      Intervention Plan in any of the following situations:

(a) When a student receiving Special Education and Related Services engages in   

conduct, that results in a change of placement as defined by 34 C.F.R. 300.536  

and the LEA, the Parent, and relevant members of the IEP team determine that

the student’s conduct that gave rise to the change in placement was a

   manifestation of the child’s disability;

(b) When an IEP provides for the use of restraint or isolation, as required by T.C.A.

   49-10-1304(b);

(c) When the student exhibits a pattern of behaviors that impede their learning or

   that of others;

(d) When the student exhibits a pattern of behavior that places the student or

   others at risk of harm or injury;

(e) When the student’s IEP team is considering a more restrictive placement as a

   result of the student’s behavior; or

(f) When determined appropriate by the student’s IEP team.

5.4 An FBA shall be conducted, as appropriate, to inform the development or revision of a

   BIP in the following situations:

(a) When a student receiving Special Education and Related Services is removed

   from their current placement for more than ten (10) consecutive school days for

   behavior not determined to be a manifestation of the student’s disability; or

(b) When a student receiving Special Education and Related Services is removed to

    an interim alternative education setting for up to forty-five (45) school days for

   weapons, drugs, or serious bodily injury, irrespective of whether the student’s

   behavior is a manifestation of the student’s disability;

5.5 An FBA shall include, at a minimum:

(a) Description of the problem or targeted behavior(s);

(b) Systematic observation of the events that immediately precede each display of

  the targeted behavior(s) and are associated with the display of the behavior(s);

(c) Systematic observation and analysis of the consequences following the display of

   the targeted behavior(s);

(d) Analysis of the antecedent/setting(s) or environment(s) in which the targeted

   behavior(s) occurs and the frequency of those behavior(s);

(e) Review of the student’s educational and disciplinary records;

(f) Structured interviews with or surveys completed by the student’s teachers,

  parents, or school personnel, as determined by the group of individuals

                         conducting the FBA, who regularly interact with the student, and when

  applicable, a student interview;

(g) Review of the history of the targeted behavior(s) to include the effectiveness of

   any intervention previously used; and

(h) Determination of whether a skill deficit is a contributing factor to the  

   behavior(s).

1. If the results of the FBA determine that a skill deficit is contributing to the    

target behavior(s), the IEP must include measurable annual goal(s) to

address the skill deficit.

5.6 The group of individuals that conducts the FBA shall review the description of the

    problem or targeted behavior(s), the results of the assessment, and a hypothesis of the

    function of the behavior to develop a BIP.

5.7 The BIP shall include, at a minimum:

(a) A description of the behavior(s) and the frequency;

(b) A restatement of the hypothesized function of behavior(s);

(c) Measurable replacement behavior goals that align to the hypothesized function

   of behavior(s);

(d) Strategies for intervention, including but not limited to antecedent-based

   interventions, mitigating the consequences that reinforce the targeted

   behavior(s), and/or reinforcing identified replacement behavior(s) based on the

   results of the FBA;

(e) Identification of team members to teach appropriate replacement behaviors;

(f) A progress monitoring plan, including regular and frequent data collection and

  fidelity checks;

(g) A plan to train school personnel who interact regularly with the student on the

   intervention strategies identified in the student’s BIP; and

   the challenging behavior occurs (responses or strategies may include, but are not

   limited to extinction procedures, de-escalation, re-direction, or cost-response).

5.8 The BIP shall be based on the student’s most recent FBA.

5.9 The student’s IEP team shall review the BIP at least annually during the student’s annual

    IEP team meetings and revise the BIP as needed.

         5.10 Nothing in this procedure shall prohibit an LEA from developing an informal behavior

     Plan for a student when the IEP team determines an FBA is not warranted due to the

     student’s lower intensity behaviors.

Click here for examples of data collection forms.

FBA/BIP Workbook 

Self Paced FBA/BIP  Course 

Example FBA/BIP Workbook