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What behavior should you address?
What behavior should you address?
The purpose of the functional behavior assessment is to determine what the student is trying to communicate. This message is what drives your behavior intervention plan. But some students have an escalating series of behaviors. When this student has a difficult moment, the behavior rises in intensity. Does each behavior need a separate plan?
Primary vs Secondary Behaviors
Primary vs Secondary Behaviors
When teams consider the escalating cycle, the initial behavior in the cycle is the primary behavior. The behaviors that the student escalates to are secondary behaviors. Secondary behaviors are the student’s response to our responses – or our non-responses- to the primary behavior. These secondary behaviors can have different messages than the primary behavior or they can be “louder” versions of the primary behavior’s message. No matter what, it is crucial that the message of the primary behavior be effectively addressed.
The secondary behaviors can be more intense
The secondary behaviors can be more intense
The secondary behaviors are usually more intense than the primary behavior. These behaviors are often what raises concern and cause teams to decide to develop a more structured plan. However, focusing the plan on the primary behavior will be more effective in long-term behavior change.
Interrupt the escalation
Interrupt the escalation
One reason to focus on the primary behavior is to interrupt the escalation. If the escalation to secondary behaviors is to be avoided, the behavior plan must start at the primary behavior. How the adult responds to a behavior affects what happens next.
The messages of the secondary behaviors can be different
The messages of the secondary behaviors can be different
The team should focus on the message of the primary behavior because the messages of the secondary behaviors can be different. The message of the primary behavior is key because that is the one that drives the escalation. Respond to that behavior and that message.
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