Behavior Assessments Support Children’s Learning Successes
A Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) is a process used in special education (and sometimes in general education) to understand and analyze the reasons behind a child’s challenging behavior. It’s a systematic and individualized approach that helps educators and other professionals identify the underlying factors contributing to a student’s behavior while at school and provide tailored support for their behaviors. An FBA is NOT completed for all students.
Understanding Behavior Challenges
This thorough and structured process aims to understand why a child engages in certain behaviors that may be challenging or disruptive at school. It involves gathering information to figure out what triggers the behavior, what purpose or function the behavior serves for the child, and how the environment may be influencing their actions. The goal is to develop a clear understanding of the behavior’s root causes so that effective strategies and interventions can be implemented to support the child while at school.
Functional Behavior Assessments
FBAs include the following:
- Individualized Analysis: An FBA is tailored to the specific child and their unique behavior. It involves gathering information through observations, interviews, and other assessment methods to create a detailed profile of the child’s behavior.
- Identifying Triggers: The assessment seeks to identify the antecedents or triggers that precede the challenging behavior. These triggers could be environmental factors, social situations, or other events that set the stage for the behavior to occur.
- Determining Function or Purpose: One crucial aspect of an FBA is determining the function or purpose the behavior serves for the child. Understanding what the child gains or avoids through their behavior helps in developing targeted interventions.
- Collaboration with Parents and Teachers: Parents play a crucial role in the FBA process. Their insights and observations about the child’s behavior at home contribute valuable information. Teachers and other school staff also collaborate to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the child’s behavior across different settings.
- Development of Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP): Based on the findings of the FBA, a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) is created. This plan outlines specific strategies and interventions to address the identified triggers and functions of the behavior. The goal is to promote positive behavior and provide support to the child.
- Ongoing Monitoring and Adjustments: The FBA process is not a one-time event. It involves ongoing monitoring of the child’s behavior and the effectiveness of the interventions. If needed, adjustments to the BIP can be made to ensure continued progress.
Achieving Sucess that Supports Student Learning
In summary, a Functional Behavior Assessment is a tool used to understand the “why” behind a child’s challenging behavior, leading to the development of a personalized plan to support positive behavior and create a more conducive learning environment. It emphasizes collaboration between parents, educators, and specialists to address the unique needs of the child.
Alison Whiteley has been a special education teacher for over 15 years, spending most of her time working with elementary students and families. After graduating from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education and Psychology, she continued her education with a Masters in Reading from Walden University. In addition, she has achieved endorsements supporting Early Childhood Special Education and Diverse Learners which she uses to help identify needs across all learners.
Ms. Whiteley is trained in Wilson Reading System and Yoshimoto Orton-Gillingham. She believes all students can learn to read and be successful. She has served as a Special Education Coach and Mentor to fellow specialists and teachers, facilitated the creation of her elementary school’s Response to Intervention/Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS) process and helped parents through the Special Education process as IEP Coach for parents. In 2013 she completed the National Boards of Professional Teaching in Exceptional Needs with recertification in 2022. Her areas of expertise involve working with students with learning disabilities, supporting stakeholders moving through the special education process, and helping parents and teachers understand what they can do to support struggling learners in the public school settings.
She is a founding member of the Colorado Reading League and a member of the International Dyslexia Association in Colorado. Alison has two greyhounds and two nephews who keep her busy outside of school. She is the CEO of Toad-ally Exceptional Learners at http://www.toad-allyexceptionallearners.com. Alison is a valuable source of information to support teachers and parents, although she is not a lawyer and does not give legal advice. Her services support families through the IEP process and how they can be an equal member of the team through positive interactions. She focuses on collaboration and using tools to take IEPs to the new level of helping students achieve.