Guidelines for Completing Functional Behavior Assessment
The purpose of the Guidelines for “Completing Functional Behavior Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plan” is to provide instructions to assist team members in completing a FBA and BIP.
Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)
Section I: Student Information
Record identifying information about the student
Record meeting dates for IEP/504 or SST as appropriate
Section II: Reason for Referral
Indicate the reason(s) for the referral. Check all that apply. Record any additional information about the referral that will be helpful. If specific behaviors are listed, make sure these behaviors are addressed in the behavior intervention plan.
Section III: Background Information
Review information related to the student as well as behavioral assessments and interventions from a variety of sources. The following activities provide examples of strategies for collecting information regarding the student’s behavior:
· Review the student’s records and summarize academic and behavioral concerns and interventions; include current reading and math levels
· Describe student’s strengths and skills (e.g. completes all homework; enjoys helping others; interested in playing basketball; etc.)
· Interview/talk to the student’s parents to provide information relative to behaviors at home
· Obtain appropriate behavior checklists and rating scales from parents and/or teachers
· Observe the student in various settings
Section IV: Specific Assessment Techniques Used
Check the specific assessment techniques used and summarize the results of each assessment technique used.
Functional analysis will include direct and quantitative observation of behavior to identify cause-effect relations. The conditions of the observation are specified and controlled. The behaviors displayed in the test and control conditions are compared using data (frequency, duration, etc.). The functional analysis protocol will look at conditions of attention, demand, alone, and play. The functional analysis can be conducted in the classroom or in an individual session(s).
Section V: Operational Definitions of Behaviors to Decrease
1) Operationally define the current problem behaviors in specific, observable, and measurable terms. Stay focused on observable behaviors (e.g. “Bobby ran out of the room” instead of “Bobby is defiant;” “Bobby asks questions that are off-topic” rather than “Bobby is annoying;” etc.) Include a description of specific student behaviors (not inferred traits), frequency, location, duration, intensity, etc. Focus on no more than two to three behaviors; specifically those that are the most problematic.
2) Antecedents: events which happen immediately before the problem behavior. Describe the precipitating conditions, including the demands of the setting and situational variables for the student. For example, how long student was engaged in the behavior, what may have triggered the behavior, what was the student doing before he/she exhibited the behavior, number of staff prompts, etc. Identify specific triggers related to the specific behavior being considered. What activities are taking place, what people are present, how is the environment arranged, size of class, etc. Observe what happens prior to the problem behavior. Are there events that consistently precede problem behaviors?
3) Problem Behavior: describe the problem behavior (not emotions or opinions) using the operational definition. Include data regarding the frequency of behavior and any patterns related to the time of day, day of week, subject, environment, etc. Select a method of data collection that fits the operational definition.
4) Consequences: describe the responses and immediate consequences, both situational and personal, of the target behavior. For example, how did others respond to the behavior, what was said to the student, how was the behavior stopped, and what did the student do after he/she stopped the behavior? How did the teacher respond or peers respond? Describe what happens immediately following the problem behavior. Did the student receive attention, tangible objects, or access to preferred activities? Did the student escape from adults or peers, avoid tasks or responsibilities, or avoid sensory stimulation?
Section VI: Replacement Behaviors
Identify positive replacement behaviors that can achieve the same purpose or function as the problem behavior. What behaviors can be taught that will result in the same/similar outcome? The replacement behavior should be more efficient than the problem behavior in obtaining reinforcement.
Section VII: Factors/antecedents/settings
Summarize data you have regarding the relationship between the antecedents, the problem behavior, and its consequences. Setting events for the behavior include factors that may influence whether or not the behavior is likely to occur. These factors may be environmental (light, noise, heat, proximity), physical (tiredness, medication, illness), instructional (task difficulty, content, materials), or interpersonal (type of interaction with others). Describe the conditions when the problem behavior is more/least likely to occur (e.g. time of day, activity, topic, transition, size of group, etc.).
Section VIII: Factors which influence behavior during data collection
Describe things that are going on in a person’s life. What earlier events seem to make the behavior more likely to occur? These may include recent illness, change in living arrangements, changes in medications, changes in school environment, break-up with friends, etc.
Section IX: Hypothesis Statement for the Function of the Behavior
State the hypothesized function for each behavior based on the data collected. Identifying the function of the student’s behavior provides an explanation of how a particular behavior “works” for the student in a given context. It should answer what needs of the student are being met by exhibiting specific behaviors. Behaviors serve to:
· Gain something (positive reinforcement) such as social attention, sensory stimulation, peer status, peer attention, or tangible items/preferred activities
· Escape or avoid (negative reinforcement) something or someone. This function typically results in a behavior that allows the student to terminate or postpone an event.
Section X: Developers of the FBA
List the names and titles of the people who gathered and analyzed the data to complete the FBA.
Guidelines for Completing
Behavior Intervention Plan
Section I: Student Information
Record identifying information about the student
Section II: Current Social/Emotional/Behavioral Goals in the IEP/504 plan/SST plan
List the current goals in the IEP/504 plan/SST plan (as applicable).
Section III: Behavior Intervention Plan
1) Preventive Strategies: Review each antecedent. Identify strategies that will address the antecedent so that it will no longer trigger the behavior and keep the behavior from occurring.
· State the goal for the preventive strategies in positive terms that are observable and measurable.
· Describe the changes in the environment that are designed to alter a student’s behavior; environment should not allow problem behavior to result in previous outcomes.
· Describe what staff will do differently in an effort to alter what the student does
· Describe what academic, schedule, routines, grouping, work difficulty, etc. changes will be made to support new behavior.
· Describe what prompts are needed prior to a behavior occurring in order to decrease the occurrence of the problem behavior as antecedents or triggers are analyzed.
2) Teaching Strategies: Identify strategies to teach replacement behavior or skills to achieve the same function as the problem behavior. Replacement behavior should be more efficient than problem behavior. As you develop teaching strategies describe what will happen every time the student displays the replacement/appropriate behavior. These strategies should minimize setting events and remove antecedents that prompt problem behavior. They also should include prompts, supports, as well as verbal and nonverbal instructions for teaching the alternative or replacement behaviors.
3) Responsive/Consequent Strategies: Identify strategies to manage the problem behaviors when they occur. Decide what will happen every time the student displays inappropriate or problem behavior. These should decrease access to consequences that maintain problem behavior and increase access to consequences that maintain acceptable behavior. Specify how the problem behaviors should be handled when they occur so as not to reinforce the behavior and to prevent any potential injury that may occur (i.e., throwing objects, leaving the school or classroom, fighting, etc.). Change consequences that might be reinforcing the problem behavior.
4) Plan for Reinforcing Positive Behavior: Summarize the reinforcement plan in positive terms. The plan should require less effort to access reinforcers than problem behavior.
Section IV: Implementation and Documentation
· Identify all individuals by title who will be implementing the plan. Indicate if they will be doing plan implementation and/or data collection.
· List what supports the staff will need from school and/or central office personnel in order to implement the BIP (e.g., training, materials, etc.) and when those would be provided.
· Identify the date the plan is to be implemented.
· Provide the date(s) for follow-up of the plan; specifically consultation or meetings to discuss progress and the effectiveness of the BIP.
Section V: Methods of Data Collection
Identify HOW data will be collected including the frequency of data collection, person(s) responsible for data collection, and the person(s) responsible for data analysis and evaluation. Types of data collection tools include:
1) Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence (A-B-C):
· Antecedent – that which happens immediately before the behavior of concern
ü How long had the student been engaged in that task?
ü Who else was in the room?
ü What was said to the student?
ü What were other students or adults doing?
ü Did anything trigger the problem behavior>|?
ü What was the student doing before the problem behavior was exhibited?
· Behavior – the actual behavior observed; describe the actual behavior
ü What did the student do (e.g. hit, kick, pinch, scream, etc.)?
ü How many times?
ü For how long?
ü Was anyone hurt?
ü Was anything damaged?
ü Did the student say anything while exhibiting the behavior?
· Consequences – that which occurs immediately following the observed behavior
ü How did others respond to the behavior?
ü What was said to the student?
ü How was the behavior stopped?
ü What did the student do after he/she stopped the behavior?
2) Frequency: how often does the problem behavior occur (e.g., # of times per period, daily, weekly); record every instance of a behavior
3) Duration: how long does the behavior last
4) Other: list any other methods of data collection (e.g. response latency - time elapsed from stimulus to response; severity of behavior, interval recording – record occurrence/non-occurrence during each interval, etc.)
Section V: Modifications to the BIP
Date and describe any modifications needed on the BIP based on the analysis of the data after the initial implementation of the BIP. If changes are needed to the plan, record the date and describe the modification.
Section VI. Date(s) plan was reviewed
Have the people who have reviewed the plan sign and date the BIP indicating that they have reviewed the plan and have a copy of the plan.