functional

HELP! What am I doing?Functional BehaviorAssessments, BehaviorIntervention Plans, and BehaviorManagement for Students withDisabilitiesPresented byMarianna Bond, M.Ed., ATPSpecial Education Consultant/Autism SpecialistRESNA certified Assistive TechnologyPractitionerLearning Legacy, Inc.©Marianna Bond, Use with permission only

Learning Objectives Define causes of behavior Determine what a functionalbehavior assessment is and is not Examine basic principles of humanbehavior Examine and connect a functionalassessment to a behaviorintervention plan

What is this all about, anyway? There are basicprinciples that guideall human behavior. In the past, behavior’sform was consideredmore important thanits function. Scientists now knowthat function is moreimportant than form.

All Behavior isCommunication!

What is the person trying to tellyou? Behavior never occurs “out ofnowhere” or for “no apparentreason”. In the simplest of terms, all behavioroccurs for one of two reasons: to getsomething OR to get out ofsomething.

What are some reasons certainTO GET SOMETHING Gain attention Gain a tangibleitembehaviors occur? GET OUT OFSOMETHING Escape tasks Escape interactions Gain sensorystimulation Escape discomfort

Functional Assessment ofBehavior(FBA) An assessment that incorporates thescientific principles of humanbehavior with specific gathered databased on an individual’s s functioningin his natural environments

Functional Assessment ofBehavior(FBA) The emphasis is on FUNCTIONAL.What specifically is happening in thestudent’s s environment that causesand reinforces the behavior?

How do you conduct an FBA? 3 methods of datacollection1) Interviews withteachers, parents,and student/childwhen appropriate2) Formal instruments3) Structuredobservations andspecific datacollection

The word “functional” is thekey in determining how toconduct the assessment.Observational recording is themost important component of afunctional behavior assessment.

What are observational methods Anecdotal accounts Data collection chartsand graphs thatcollect information on:• Frequency• Rate• Duration• Intensity• Latency• A-B-C C dataof recording data?

What is A-B-C A C Data? Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence What happens just prior to thebehavior? (antecedent) What exactly does the behavior looklike? (behavior) What happens just after the behavioroccurs? (consequence)

The actions immediatelyfollowing a behavior areoften the key to whetherthe behavior will occuragain.

For example: If a student is supposed toparticipate in “circle time” and herefuses by spitting or hitting, if thatis then followed by sending thestudent to time out for the spittingand hitting behavior, that behavior ismore likely to occur again, evenmore frequently, in the future.

WHY? The antecedent to the behavior was sittingin circle time. The behavior was spitting andhitting…behaviors that are generally usedto escape from a situation. The student was allowed to escape fromthe situation, with the teacher’s s blessing,to attend time out. This was a strongreinforcement of the student’sinappropriate behavior!

The previous example is aclear illustration of why afunctional behaviorassessment is a key tochanging behaviors.

The structured observationand collection of data is themost important part of afunctional behaviorassessment.

Operational Definitions of Behavior What does the behavior look like? What specific things can one see thatdefines the behavior?• No room for vague definitions• Area for teachers and parents to bespecific and involved in the assessment

ExamplesTantrum• Operational: The student/child kicks hisfeet, throws objects, screams, cries, andflails his arms.• Vague: gets all bent out of shapelots of screaming

Off TaskExamples• Operational definition: Thestudent/child puts down his pencil, putsaway his papers, and wanders aroundthe room.• Vague: doesn’t t complete his workThe observer must know specifically whatconstitutes the behavior he is toobserve!

How does one get started?Operational definitions of behavior- What exactly does “tantrum” looklike?- What does “off task” look like?Data Collection and reportingis a must. It is the ultimatetool of accountability.

Structured observations Operational definitions of behaviorsto be observed. Determine a system for datacollection and management. Published data sheets or adaptedforms. (O’Neill)

What will be observed? Frequency ofbehavior Rate of behaviorwithin a time frame Duration of problembehavior (how longeach incidence occurs) Latency of behavior(length of timebetween giveninstructions and whenbehavior occurs) Force or intensity ofbehavior Topography (detaileddescription ofbehavior) Locus (location) ofbehavior

Topography of Behavior Is better performed through anecdotaldescriptions Requires detailed, objective descriptionof behavior and environment Is easy to perform first before moreformal observational data is taken in orderto have a clear idea of what to look for aswell as to confirm information giventhrough teacher/parent interview.

Data Sheets Can use previously published forms Can adapt published forms Can make own detailed forms Needs to be in a format that can betranslated to a graph later if necessary.

Data Collection Data should be collected across asmany different settings as possible. Data should be collected during asmany different times of day aspossible.

Data Collection Data should be collected over a 2-52day observation at a minimum. Best practices dictate that aminimum of 15 to 20 observedoccurrences of the target behavior isnecessary to have enough data toanalyze.

Data Collection – Design Systems A design is a systematic way to collectdata that enables the person collecting thedata to make statements backed byobjective fact about relationships betweenbehaviors and planned interventions. A design system allows the observer todetermine functional relationshipsbetween observed variables and drawconclusions.

An FBA must have apredetermined design.A Baseline A Intervention A Baseline B InterventionM 14A BaselineA InterventionT 16 A BaselineB InterventionW 14TH 13F 14Number of out-of-seat occurences0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20M 13T 10W 11TH 12F 10M 13T 17W 16TH 17F 15M 15T 14W 13TH 14F Days 13MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTF

Behavior Work refusalExamples of Functional Wandering in room HittingRelationshipsPossible Relationship Tasks not presented insmall, manageablechunks Lack of interest intopic or competingstimuli that is morereinforcing Attention from adult

It is important to remainobjective while taking dataand not assign arelationship or function tothe behavior until all data isrecorded and analyzed.

Functional Behavior Assessment Requires time and effort to be donecorrectly. If done correctly, will provide enoughinformation so that a plan that willwork can be constructed. Should record only objective data(not opinions!) until data can beanalyzed and hypotheses can bemade.

Moving fromAssessment to Intervention Behavior intervention plans use thehypotheses made in the FBA toconstruct likely interventions. Since behavioral principles now focuson function instead of form, simplebehavioral suppression is no longer thegoal of the BIP. A good BIP is tightly interwoven withthe information and reinforcementsfound in the FBA so that it is effective.

Example - FBA Screaming was usually preceded by highdemand or 1:1 instructional tasks. Screaming behavior occurred morefrequently in the afternoon. Adults responded by ignoring thebehavior. The majority of this protest behavior isassociated with specific, more difficulttasks.

Example - BIP Student will develop appropriatemethods of protesting (such asgesturing, point to visuals, or speech)difficult tasks. Student will decrease screamingbehaviors. Recommendation: Ensure that skills aretaught in developmentally appropriatesequences with receptive understandingand tasks preceding expressive, andthat prerequisite skills are trulymastered before attempting morechallenging tasks.

Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP) Address any behavior that interfereswith learning, , not just disruptivebehavior. Should always be based on soundprinciples of human behavior managementsuch as reinforcement, generalization, andstimulus control. The BIP should formulate a plan to makeproblem behaviors irrelevant, inefficient,and ineffective for the student.

Basic Behavioral Principles Behavior that is reinforcedis more likely to berepeated. Behavior that is reinforcedonly when it doesn’t t occuris likely to end morequickly. Combining a lowoccurrence behavior with ahigh occurrence behaviorincreases the occurrence ofthe less seen behavior. Students need to be taughtalternatives to behaviorthat serves a specificfunction. Eliminating a behaviorwithout providing a moreappropriate alternative willonly create more problembehaviors. Reinforced behavior that isincompatible with aproblem behavior makesthe problem behaviordisappear.

Principles of Common Sense Address behaviors that interfere withlearning, not just disruptive behaviors. Problem behaviors that serve a functionmust have alternatives taught. True behavior change occurs over a longperiod of time. There are no fast fixes. Prioritize behaviors. Annoying behaviorsare not problem behaviors.

The Behavior Intervention Plan(BIP) Should be very specific. It provides aroadmap for adults on how tointervene and how to teach newbehaviors. Should consist of both primary andsecondary reinforcers depending onthe developmental level and intrinsicmotivation of the student.

ReinforcersPrimaryAre biologicalnecessities:FoodDrinkShelterSensory inputSecondaryAre not biologicalnecessities:Social stimuliPraiseEngagement in favoredactivitiesSymbolicrepresentations(tokens) that can beexchanged for anotheritem

Process1)Parent-TeacherTeacher-Student Interviews2)Formal Checklists(if necessary)3)TopographicalObservation4)ObservationDesign5)OperationalDefinitions

Process6)Observation and datarecording in variety oflocales, times, etc.7)Analysis of dataincluding graphing8)Hypothesis/relationships9)BIP10) Goals andObjectivesI thinkwe’vegot it!

Behavioral Goals and Objectives The BIP is a roadmap for teachers/adults. Behavioral goals and objectives are whatthe student will learn to do as his part inthe process. Objectives are the behavioralmanifestations of educational goals.Learning itself may be the behavior thatneeds to be addressed.

Example – Behavior Goals Goal: Student will increase his ability toattend to tasks without protest by 40%from baseline levels.(baseline has beenobtained) Objective:Student will increase hisability to focus on tasks requiring morethan 2 steps for at least 7 minutes withoutprotest on 2 of 5 opportunities providedeach week as measured by teacherobservation, data sheets, and worksamples.

Example – Behavior Goals (cont.) Goal: Student will increase his ability tocommunicate appropriately by 40% frombaseline levels. (previously obtained) Objective: : Student will communicatewants, needs and protests effectivelyusing gestures, visuals, and speech atleast 3 times per session on 4 of 10opportunities provided as measured byteacher observation and data sheets.

Teaching Behaviors Shaping Chaining (backward and forward) Prompting Generalization Reinforcement is a key!

Shaping Providesreinforcement forbehaviors as theymore closelyapproximate targetbehavior. Consistently movestudent closer togoal.

Chaining Forward chainingstarts withreinforcement ofthe first step. Backward chainingstarts withreinforcement ofthe last step.

Prompting Hand over hand Prompt from behind Gestural Visual Verbal

Resources Asperger Syndrome and Difficult Moments:Practical Solutions for Tantrums, Rage, andMeltdownsby Brenda Smith Myles and Jack Southwick(1999, Autism Asperger Publishing Co.) A Treasure Chest of Behavioral Strategies forIndividuals With Autismby Beth Fouse and Maria Wheeler (1997, FutureHorizons)

Generalization Many students have great difficultygeneralizing skills from: Object to object Situation to situation Location to location Teach skills in a variety of locations, usingdifferent objects, and under differentconditions.

Questions?

ResourcesLearning Legacy, Inc.• “Teaching Learning and LearningTeaching through Sustained TrainingOpportunities”• www.learninglegacyinc.comFunctional Assessment and ProgramDevelopment for Problem Behavior:A Practical Handbook (O’Neill et al.,1997)