FBA and BIP info | Autism PDD

Very, very good point.

Also an FBA and BIP can be done to INCREASE a behavior as well. For every one I write to decrease a challenging behavior I have written one to increase a positive one. They can be written both ways.....if you really want to.

THANKS, Tzoya!

I'm printing this thread.

Have a great weekend!

NO! FBAs don't have to be formally done by BCBAs or psychologists. The classroom aide can be asked to sit back and observe, taking ABC data. Then, a plan can be put in place to modify the negative behavior. It doesn't have to be a written plan in the IEP. This teacher is thinking about FBA's that are done for kids who are in danger of being kicked out. THOSE FBA's are legally required. What you want is an fba. Since the word seems to means something entirely different to the teacher, ask her simply to find out the function of a behavior based on data. That's all an fba is, after all.

Tzoya,

How "bad", disruptive, distracting, etc. must the behavior be to reasonably ask for an FBA?

When my son goes through certain "stages" that have lasted days or weeks or months, we have worked through it with the teachers and therapists. I asked for an FBA when his behavior was holding him back and sometimes affecting the other children, but I was told he didn't need one...He's "too good". FBAs are only for the "severe" cases. Is this true? Is it expensive? Aggravating for the staff? Extra work that they don't want? Or is it just that they truly think they can work through these episodes? Thoughts?

AndrewsMommy39206.6688425926

http://www.specialed.us/pl-07/pl07-bd.html#bd3

Functional behavioral assessment

DPI Bulletin # 07.01

For many children with behavior problems, using the common strategy of consequences for misbehavior does not seem to work. When this happens, the IEP team can use a process called functional behavioral assessment (FBA) to try to understand the child’s behavior. Districts either have someone who understands FBA or can locate someone to help them learn how to do it.

A FBA will try to look at each problem behavior to figure out when, where, and why it is occurring. The person or people doing the FBA will probably want to observe the child, interview parents and teachers, and investigate all the places and times when the child’s behavior occurs.

When a district uses an FBA to take a closer look at the child’s behavior, they will be trying to find an answer to the question, “What function does this behavior have for this child?”

Experts say there are only two answers to that question. All behaviors either:

get something (attention, sensory stimulation, status, rewards, power) or
escape or avoid something (pain, boredom, anxiety, fear, someone not liked).

A good FBA will look beyond what the behavior IS to what the behavior DOES for the child. A good FBA will:

look at the places or situations where the behavior happens,
look at the events that happen just before it and just after it,
look at how the child is feeling (angry, tired, thirsty, anxious, including side-effects of medication), and
try to find out what events, times or situations predict the behavior and will tell what happens after the behavior occurs.

A good FBA will lead to answers to two important questions:

What causes the behavior to happen?
What will cause the behavior to NOT happen?

top

Behavioral Intervention Plans: Teaching Alternative Behaviors

DPI Bulletin #07.01

Any IEP team can address behavior. It is much better to deal with behavior issues as early as possible to prevent problems later. An IEP team can make a positive behavioral intervention plan using the information from a FBA. A positive behavioral intervention plan does not excuse a behavior. It provides the school with a carefully thought out action plan so that when the behavior does occur, teachers and others will know how to act to decrease the behavior and teach a better alternative behavior.

An IEP team can use the information from the FBA to make a plan to teach alternative behaviors which have the same function as the problem behavior. A positive behavioral intervention plan does not simply list the consequences. It also plans for teaching the child alternative behaviors while reducing the problem behavior

Here are the steps of a basic positive behavioral intervention plan. The goal is to reduce or eliminate the problem behavior:

What is the function (cause) of the behavior? (A FBA will give a lot of information to answer this.)
What behavior do we want to teach this child to replace the problem behavior? The replacement behavior MUST have the same function for the child.
What will the teacher (other person) do to prevent the problem behavior? (Again, the FBA will give information on this.)
What will the teacher (other person) do when the child exhibits the correct or alternative behavior in any situation? (Positive reinforcers and taking away something that acts in a negative way)
When and how will the teacher (other person) practice teaching the replacement behavior?

top

Behavior Goals in the IEP

For many children, behavior can be a part of the IEP just like any other subject area. The IEP team can use the present level of academic achievement and functional performance, annual goals, and specific services to help the child learn appropriate behaviors in the same way they can help the child learn other things. The goal must tell:

When? (How long until the child will reach this goal? A week? A year?)
What needs to be happening for the child to do this behavior? (“when on the playground,” “when asked by his teacher,” etc)
Which behavior? (“will begin to comply with the instructions,” “will step away from his peers”, etc.)
To what specific level? (“in all small and large group settings,” “for three days in a row,” “8 out of 10 times,” etc.)

Here are some examples:

In 18 weeks, when teased by his peers, Robert will walk away from the situation across all settings and times in school.

In 30 weeks, during all classroom activities that need turn taking, Josephine will wait her turn 8 out of 10 times, for three days in a row.

When the IEP is implemented, the teachers teach the child the skills needed to reach each goal