1. Functional Behavior Assessment
Chp. 5- Steps 1-3
Not to rescue a person from an unhappy organization is to punish him, in that it leaves himin a state of punishment
Don Baer (1970)

2. Guiding Principles

Behavior is predictable. 3. Behavior changeable. 4. Human behavior occurs within an environmental context, not in a vacuum. 5. Human behavior is learned and can be taught by manipulating aspectsof the environmental context--Behavior is a function of the environment

Source: Crone , D.A. & Horner, R.H., 2003
6. A Context for Positive Behavior Support
A redesign of environments, not the redesign of individuals
Plan describes what we will do differently
Plan is based on identification of the behavioral function of problem behaviors and the lifestyle goals of an individual
7. Functions
Pos Reinf
Neg Reinf
8. Steps for Conducting a FA-BIP Process
Define the Challenge/Identify Goals.
Gather Information.
Generate a hypothesis statement.
Build a Competing Behavior Pathway to identify possible elements of a Behavior Intervention Plan.
Design & Evaluate a Behavioral Intervention Plan.
Plan for effective implementation of the Behavior Intervention Plan.
Monitor regularly and modify based on observed progress.
Adapted from Crone, D.A. and Horner,R.H., 2003
9. Identifying who needs an FBA/BIP
Academic/behavior data indicates challenge
High intensity or frequency behavior
Behavior impedes academic performance
Dont understand behavior
Behavior seems to meet need or be reinforcing for student
Interventions have not been successful
USE DATA
Source: Crone, D.A. & Horner, R.H., 2003
10. Step 1: Define the Problem Behavior
What does the problem behavior look like?
Conduct interviews, review prior incidents & observations across the students routine/settings to define the problem behavior.
Observable, measurable, concrete language.
NON EXAMPLEEXAMPLE
poor impulse controlhigh pitched screams
angry, hostile, resentfulkicking over chairs
paying attentioncompletes tasks
Estimate how often the problem behavior occurs & how intense the problem behavior is.
11. STEP 2: Gathering Information
What sequence of events reliably predicts the problem behavior?
Maintaining Consequences:
What happens immediately after the problem behavior?
What is the child trying to GET or GET AWAY from?
Get social attention
Get objects/access to activities
Get sensory stimulation
Avoid aversive task/activity
Avoid aversive social contact
Avoid aversive sensory stimulation
12. STEP 2: Gathering Information
What sequence of events reliably predicts the problem behavior?
Antecedent Events (Fast Triggers):
Analyze routines in the students day to identify
Where, when, with whom the problem behavior occurs?
Where, when, with whom desirable behavior is more likely to occur?
What events, contexts, demands, tasks, people reliably trigger/precede the behavior?
13. STEP 2: Gathering Information
What sequence of events reliably predicts the problem behavior?
Setting Events (Slow Triggers ) Events that happen before a request is made.
These events may predict a problem could occur?
Examples: problems on the bus
problems at home before school
setting is a nonpreferredsubject/class
child has a problem at recess
14.FBA Tools
Direct Observation

Formal (recorded) 15. Informal (anecdotal)

Interviews, checklists, surveys

Brief, simple, practical 16. Longer, more complex, use when necessary

Archival records

Already exist

Tools for Gathering Information
Recommend for Brief FBA/BIP:
FBA-BIP Interview
Student-Guided Functional Assessment Interview
ABC Chart
17. Tools for Complex FBA
Systematic and repeated behavioral observations
using ABC (antecedent- behavior- consequence)
Multiple setting assessment
Functional Behavioral Assessment Behavior Support Plan (F-BSP) (accessible from PBIS.org website)
18. Step 3: Generate a Hypothesis Statement
A hypothesis statement is
a summary statement that describes the teams best guess about the relationship between the problem behavior and the characteristics of the environment- the specific contexts and the specific function.
The goal of which is
to identify specific CONCRETE circumstances regularly associated with the occurrence and nonoccurrence of the problem behavior.
19. Anatomy of an Hypothesis Statement
When ______________________________,

(summarize the antecedents here)

he/she will _______________________

(summarize the problem behavior here)

in order to _____________________________.

(summarize the function here)