What is the message?
Finding the message
So, what do you do if you aren't sure about what the message is?
How do you tease out the message so that you can create an effective behavior plan?
Finding the message
As you proceed with identifying the behavior, there are several considerations. First, if you look at the student's diagnosis and age, you may find some common messages to consider. For example, very young children might communicate they are tired when it's just around naptime. Students with ADHD might communicate that they don't have enough working memory to remember the consequences. While a child is not his diagnosis, there are some common characteristics that can help you with the "detective work" around the behavior message.
Data is also a helpful tool. Data is simply information that you can obtain in several ways. First, you can jot notes to yourself about behaviors. What is happening just before you see the behavior? What happens right after the behavior? If you ask people who know the child well, what do they say about the behavior? What insights can the student offer about the behavior? When in the day is the behavior most likely to happen? When is it least likely to happen? Questions like these give you data - information - so that you can identify the message behind the behavior.
Sometimes students use the same behavior to send several different messages. For example, the student might hit your arm to say "I want this work to go away" or he might hit your arm to say "I want to play with you." These situations take a little more digging to get to the different messages. You will be addressing each message separately.
Tools to Use to Collect Data
Functional Assessment Matrix
Collecting information about the behavior on this document can help you determine the message more effectively.
Data by Classroom Schedule
Collecting data within the student's schedule can also help you to determine the message of the behavior.
ABC Data Collection
Collecting information about a behavior using Antecedent-Behavior-Consequences formats can help you see what is happening.
Other considerations
The BSP Questionnaire has some other avenues to consider if you are still looking for the message. There are many questions in this form that you should consider.
