“Don’t Call The Neurosurgeon When You Only Need An Aspirin”

Function Junction

We know that Problem Behavior:

• Hampers learning opportunities• Decreases quality of life• Results in exclusion• Leads to increased involvement with social

and judicial systems• Impacts school completion

Academic Systems Behavioral Systems

1-5% 1-5%

5-10% 5-10%

80-90% 80-90%

Intensive, Individual Interventions•Individual Students•Assessment-based•High Intensity

Intensive, Individual Interventions•Individual Students•Assessment-based•Intense, durable procedures

Targeted Group Interventions•Some students (at-risk)•High efficiency•Rapid response

Targeted Group Interventions•Some students (at-risk)•High efficiency•Rapid response

Universal Interventions•All students•Preventive, proactive

Universal Interventions•All settings, all students•Preventive, proactive

Federal Legislation--There is now an expectation that we address both academic and behavioral aspects of

student performance

Legal FrameworkDiscipline Procedures§300.530 Authority of school personnel.(b) General. (1) School personnel under this

section may remove a child with a disability who violates a code of student conduct from his or her current placement

(d) Services. (1) A child with a disability who is removed from the child’s current placement pursuant to paragraphs (c), or (g) of this section must—(ii) Receive, as appropriate, a functional behavioral assessment, and behavioral intervention services and modifications, that are designed to address the behavior violation so that it does not recur.

Legal Framework (continued)(f) Determination that behavior was a

manifestation. If the LEA, the parent, and relevant members of the IEP Team make the determination that the conduct was a manifestation of the child’s disability, the IEP Team must--(1) Either-–(i) Conduct a functional behavioral

assessment, unless the LEA had conducted a functional behavioral assessment before the behavior that resulted in the change of placement occurred, and implement a behavioral intervention plan for the child; or

(ii) If a behavioral intervention plan already has been developed, review the behavioral intervention plan, and modify it, as necessary, to address the behavior; and…

Legal Framework: IDEA 2004Current Thinking

Past Practice

The Difference

Antecedents are critical in changing behavior

Focus: What can we actively do (teach/structure environment) to change the behavior?

Consequences were attempted to be made so compelling that the student would stop a behavior

Focus: What must the student do to avoid or to get something we provide?

Consequence-based plans: For many students, neither a strong enough punishment nor a strong enough reinforcer can be found to change the behavior;Antecedent-based plans: Can result in changing environmental conditions and student skills for lasting change

Legal Framework: IDEA 2004

Current Thinking

Past Practice

The Difference

Philosophy: Positive behavior needs to be taught (modeled, shaped, cued) in a supportive environment.

Philosophy: Problem behavior needs to be controlled or eliminated. Positive behavior is to be expected regardless of the environment.

Controlling behavior: Becoming increasingly more difficult in today’s classrooms;

Teaching behavior: Has the potential for lasting change

“BEHAVIOR” related to academics

It is common practice in education to:

• Assume student refuses to cooperate• Assume student knows what is right and has been

told often enough• provide more negative consequences• Withdraw student from normal social context• Maintain student removal from normal context• Assume student has “learned” lesson and will behave

in future

Best Practices & I.D.E.A.• In cases of a change in placement due to

disciplinary action a functional behavioral assessment must be conducted to inform the development of a behavior intervention plan

• In the case of a child whose behavior impedes his or her learning or that of others, consider, when appropriate, strategies, including positive behavioral interventions, strategies, and supports to address that behavior

General guidelines about when to conduct FBA/BIPs

• When suspending a child with a disability from educational services

• Review the plan when a child with a BIP is again suspended

• Whenever behavior impedes student’s learning or that of others

But What About General Ed.?

• On a whole, general education students miss more instruction time for behavioral issues than special education students.

• Unnecessary referrals of students are made to special education with hope they will qualify for services and behavior interventions will occur.

Determining Need for FBA

• Examine behavior– Serious– Persistent– Chronic– Threat to safety of student or others

• Examine previous interventions– Evidence-based practices– Implemented with fidelity and

integrity

Functional Behavioral

Assessment (FBA)Definition:

“A process whereby informed hypothesis statements are developed about relationships between events in the environment and the occurrence of a student’s challenging behavior.”

Johnson & Dunlap, 1993

Define the Behavior• Describe what the behavior ‘looks’

like– Use exact quotes– Describe body movements/gestures– Resist interpreting or embellishing– Use verbs, not adjectives

• Describe the sequence of events• Explain what did or did not happen

Operationalize the Behavior

• Use terms that are

–Measurable

–Observable

Operational Definitions

• Describe only the behavior you observe

• Use no interpretations or embellishments

• Use verbs, not descriptive terms

• Use specific, non-evaluative descriptions

Operational Definitions

Examples:Vague Operational-uncooperative -throwing materials-self-injurious -bangs head on wall-self-stimming -flapping hands-aggressive -hits others with his hands-disrespectful -calls others profane names-belligerent -responding with the

following profanities when asked to complete a task:

Behavioral Complaints Typically Used in Education:

• Student won’t do his work• Student doesn’t work to his potential• Student is disruptive in class• Student is attention seeking• Student likes to make me angry

FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIORASSESSMENT

• Why?– The majority of student behavior is purposeful.– Behavior (appropriate and inappropriate) is

related to the context(s) in which it occurs.– Behavior is influenced by past-to-present events.– Behavior serves a predictive function.

Why..• To acknowledge that the individual’s problem behavior is

functional (see following slide)

• To understand the structure and function of the problem behavior to teach and promote effective alternatives

• To provide a process that eliminates “blame” on the individual, but rather examines the relationship between the individual and environment

What FBA is NOT:• The form that goes with the BIP in the ARD

What FBA IS:What FBA IS:A process of determining why

a student engages in challenging behavior and how the student’s

behavior relates to the environment

• Through this process, we can gather:• Description of problem behavior• Prediction of occurrence• Identification of consequences maintaining problem

behavior• Development of hypotheses• Data to support hypotheses

What FBA is NOT:Information gathered simply from

the memory of event(s)

What FBA IS:What FBA IS:Data collected through direct observation across places,

times, task and other demands, other persons present, changing

conditions, etc.

The Function of Behavior

• Who• What • When• Where• Why• So What?

Things to know before you start…

• Problem Behavior Serves a Purpose!• COMMUNICATION!!!

• We can’t fix it until we know why it’s broken.• One size does not fit all.• No one gives up something for nothing.

Escape

• Unpleasant or difficult tasks

• Changes in routine or transitions

• Attention from certain people

• Corrective feedback

Acquire

• Assistance

• Social interaction

• Attention from peers and adults

• Sensory Stimulation

Functions for Most Problem Behaviors:

Get peer attentionGet adult attention

Get reward or

tangible item

Gain access to

preferred activity

Get sensory stimulatio

nEscape or delay a difficult task or non - preferred

activityEscape or avoid a demanding situation

Internal/External Stimulus

• Automatic Reinforcement– The sound of your own voice– Butterflies in the stomach (thrill-seekers)– A sight, sound or feeling that is pleasing– Etc.

Tangibles

• Food

• Toys

• Money

• Special Events

Is an FBA justified?

• Before going to the process of an FBA…decide “who cares”– Is the behavior important to ME?– Or to the student(s)?

– If it just bothers US…is it really justified?

Getting started…

• Data Gathering Tools

– Interview/Questionnaires (i.e., Teacher/Student/Family)

– Checklists

• Observation– A-B-C forms

PURPOSES FOR DATA COLLECTION:

• to determine current level of learning/behavior (baseline)

• to investigate learning/behavioral event (A-B-C)

• to measure progress toward learning/behavioral goals

• to guide “next steps” in programming (adjustments)

ABC Data

A B C

Identifying Antecedents

A ca d e m ic T a sks

W a lkin g A rou n d th e ro om V e rba l R e fu sa l T a lk in g w ith P e e rs

Identifying Consequences

Consequences

BEHAVIOR

•Student given time-out

•Teacher gives praise/attention

•Student gets free time

•Teacher reprimands student

•Teacher redirects student

•Student gets good grade

ExampleTime Setting Ant. Beh. Consq

10:01 Math seat work

Teacher gives sheet

Tom says, “No”

Teacher glares

10:05 Math seat work

Teacher says “Stop talking”

Tom talks to peer

Peer looks at Tom

10:06 Math seat work

Teacher says “ Get Busy”

Tom ‘fl ips the bird’

Teacher sends to offi ce

Analyze your data• Identify

– Patterns that emerge from information collected– Circumstances under which behavior is most

and least likely to occur– Function(s) of behavior.– Broader variables that affect student’s behavior

• Summarize information in clear, concise, and accurate statements– Specific hypothesis– General hypothesis

Form a Hypothesis

– under x conditions….– the student does y…. – in order to z.

• Under X Conditions– When Susan does not get what she

verbally demands from her peers….

• The student does Y– she screams and hits them….

• To get Z– until they give in to her (e.g., give

up toy)

Create a general hypothesis statement:

• Susan engages in aggression (hitting, etc.) to peers in order to get positive reinforcers (access to preferred activities, tangibles)

Test your hypothesis

– Can I improve (or worsen) the behavior by changing one or more of the setting events, antecedents, and/or consequences of the behavior?

Make Recommendations

• select a replacement behavior.– Does the student have

the academic skills necessary to achieve expected tasks?

– Does the student have the skills necessary to perform expected, new behaviors?

– Does the student have the skill, but, for some reason, not the desire to modify his or her behavior?

1. Summary of observations and data collected

2. Make recommendation that address function and needs of student

3. Develop behavior support plan with teachers/support staff

• Goal replacement behavior(s)– Short-term objectives– Long-term objectives

• Teaching and reinforcing plan for student to reach the goal– What, who, when, how student will be taught

and reinforced– How to eliminate current response to

challenging behavior• Environmental changes & supports• Plan for evaluating success