BIP

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	I got a rough draft of a BIP that Mason's spec. ed teacher and reg ed teacher wrote up for me.  I have an IEP revision meeting on Friday at 10am with them and this is one of the things we were discussing about adding. Now he has in his IEP right now an informal positive BIP that states things like what type of rewards and sensory breaks maybe used...also things like PECS to help communication etc. I received this the other day...it is for negative behavior. Just wondering if it's common to have 2 separate BIP's for negative and positive...and if they put this negative BIP in format should I tell them I want the positive one in format too, or doesn't it really matter...his positive BIP is really just a couple of paragraphs written in the beginning of the IEP. ***Also I was wondering if anyone out there is pretty good at understanding and writing these things up if they wouldn't mind me emailing them a copy of this BIP and giving me any pointers...things I might be missing etc. I'm learning very quickly that I don't necessarily cover all my basis very well as I guess I am still learning how do to all of this. Thanks!! I had them put Payne's BIP positive AND negatives in the IEP and attachment...that way it's there FOREVER and then it can be changed without everyone having to reconvene too. A BCBA would be the BEST person to talk to about FBA and BIP.  I don't know a whole lot about BIPs.  I did save the following in my favorites which discusses BIPs and gives three samples.  I found it helpful. http://www.projectstay.com/pdf/BehaviorInterventionPlan.pdf I would NOT ALLOW negatives. PERIOD.  Too often negatives have unintended consequences. Also, with a BIP that is entirely positive, it puts the ADULTS in the position of having to LOOK for positive behaviors. This ends up shaping THEIR behavior in a good way, even more than the child's!  LOOKING FOR THE GOOD does NOT come naturally in our society and schools are a magnified reflection of society.  The knee-jerk way of shaping behavior is and has always been punishment.  With some ASD kids, that can work.  But more often than not, what is punishing to a NT can actually be REWARDING to an ASD kid.  The absence of a reward will teach the child what to do if the potential reward is REWARDING ENOUGH.   That sometimes means getting creative with rewards. Some kids will hold themselves together FOREVER if the reward they get is 5 minutes of stimming time in the coat closet. Whatever works....I just had an IEP meeting this morning to go over Sara's new BIP. I agree with tzoya about the positive... however, negative behavior is the crux of all of Sara's problems and it gets aggressive and extreme. We had to spell out what is allowed and not allowed should she get aggressive. Her whole day is based around positive reinforcement, but she also needs to learn consequences to her bad behavior. The consequences are usually losing her pin for the day... but when she has nuclear meltdowns and can hurt herself or someone else... well that's what needs to be addressed. But that's just my kid Positive behavior plans often work their best when a child has failed to earn something.  So, for example, if Sarah needs to earn a certain number of points and because of negative behavior she missed the opportunity to earn those points, she should be made to understand that she COULD have earned the reward but will have to try harder tomorrow. Not that something was taken away, but she failed to EARN something.  It may amount to the same thing except that not earning puts the CONTROL in the CHILD's court, not the adult's. The reward was there all along for the taking, but Sarah CHOSE not to earn it because she CHOSE bad behaviors. It will take quite a while to "get" this connection, but it's a HUGE connection -- the idea that we ALL are in control of our actions.  Also, good BIPs usually make behavior get worse a bit before it gets better because it becomes totally CLEAR to the child that their behavior is being controlled by the plan.  But once enough successes have occurred, that experience of EARNING!!!! is not easily forgotten and the child's behavior begins to turn around.  Of course, the rewards MUST be truly rewarding.  All this said, the proof is in the pudding. If your child responds well to negative consquences and/or punishment, go for it!  Mine did not.  Most of the kids I advocate respond best to all-positive plans, too. Of course, there is usually an emergency plan in case behavior gets dangerous.  Removal to another location during a meltdown is just common sense.  It does not have to be punitive. It can be -- when you calm down, we'll go back.  But, as I said, what works, works. I never even knew there was any kind of differentiation between a "postive BIP" and a "negative" one?????  I always was lead to believe a BIP was a BIP, period.  Is what you are saying is that there is one plan for when the child demonstrates negative behavior, and another plan for when the child is behaving the way he should be?  This doesn't make any sense.  Why would you need a plan for positive behavior?? Can anyone explain in simple terms? No what I am talking about it that I have 2 different things that expresses how they are going to try and get appropriate behavior out of Mason. One is positive reinforcements one is negative reinforcements...well I guess I don't know if it's considered negative...but for example time outs, ignoring of behavior or warning of inappropriate behavior...these are few things listed in the BIP rough draft they have sent me. The other part in his IEP talks about positive reinforcements used, like sticker charts for prizes, verbal praise, PECS and social stories to make things easier for him...although I guess the last two things are really considered reinforcements are they? I guess I sort of used the wrong wording in my initial post.  sorry Niki, I just sent you a copy of my sons BIP. It is a general one that targets most of his current behaviors. Any questions, just P.M. me. I personally think you need to have a BCBA who has observed Mason to do a BIP. I think the teacher probably does not know the functions of Masons behavior. (attention, escape, non compliance etc.,) Also if there is not a very good positive reinforcement schedule in place, it is very hard to teach and shape behaviors.Notime...yes, a Behavior Intervention Plan does not have to specify positive or negative. However, IDEA requires that the BIP should provide POSITIVE behavioral supports.  Putting in negatives (punishment) is usually shown to exacerbate behavior (see Skinner's behavioral research DECADES AGO for scientific confirmation of this).  The truth is that a BIP can be ANYTHING and whether or not it's a GOOD BIP depends on only one thing -- based on data gathered in subsequent observations of the child and anecdotal reports, is the BIP WORKING?  If the behaviors get reduced, then the BIP works. If the behaviors stay the same or increase, the BIP is NOT working. However, the caveat is that ANY BIP is likely to exacerbate behavior, briefly, at first. After a month or so, if the behavior doesn't change for the better, the BIP is not working and an analysis of WHY NOT needs to be done.  All of this takes lots of effort on the part of the adults in the child's life. A BIP can't be put on paper and then forgotten. There are LOTS of variables. We start with what is LIKELY to work or not work. And there is a ton of data that suggests that entirely positive BIPs not only work better but are less likely to cause unintended consequences.  Of course, what works with YOUR child (or mine or any other individual child) may be different and that's why constant re-evaluation of the BIP and the data is critical.
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